


Worthy

by EHC



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, F/M, Mark Jefferson isn't evil, Multi, Rachel Amber Lives, Some angst, dom/sub dynamics, dom/sub relationships, some smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2019-08-04 12:27:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 208,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHC/pseuds/EHC
Summary: In a world where everyone is a Dom or a sub, Max is depressed, repressed, and more than a little confused. She's come to Blackwell Academy to study under the famed Mark Jefferson and further her photography dreams but now has to deal with a growing attraction to her childhood friend (who should hate her), her childhood friend's girlfriend (who should also hate her), her dorm neighbor (who does hate her), her new musically-inclined Christian friend (who couldn't hate anyone but just give it time) and kinda sorta maybe most everyone else on her floor? Max has never been good at actually dealing with her feelings, though, and keeps bottling them up, hoping they'll just go away. How much longer can things continue like this before they come to a head?Hint: not long at all.





	1. Unorthodox

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by three things. First, the tag [“Max is kind of in love with everyone and that is canon.”](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Max%20is%20kind%20of%20in%20love%20with%20everyone%20and%20that%20is%20canon) I love that tag and nearly used it here but didn't want to infringe. Second, the line “Blackwell’s like a hive of lesbians” from [chapter 16](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539240/chapters/21374456) of [Bloom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539240/chapters/19577263), by [Recourse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recourse/pseuds/Recourse). And third, [Soulmates](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15281859/chapters/35451204), by [googlycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/googlycat/pseuds/googlycat). Somehow, all of these things became a weird train wreck in my brain and wouldn’t shut up so I’m putting pen to paper, so to speak, to exorcise it from my head.

The soft buzzing from her phone's alarm rudely woke Max from her slumber and a quite interesting dream involving Chloe, Rachel, and herself aboard a pirate vessel that somehow also looked like Chloe’s truck. With a soft groan, she reached across to her dresser and killed the buzzer, then slumped back. For a moment, she considered whether it was truly worth waking up earlier on Tuesdays for some extra time in the shower but eventually decided that waking now would be preferable to losing all the hot water later.

Max got out of bed, taking a moment to stretch and yawn widely, before gathering her shower caddie and towel. Slipping into a pair of flip-flops, she padded her way to the girl's bathroom and made her way to her preferred stall. Hanging her towel on a nearby hook, she started the shower, undressing while the shower heated to the proper temperature (or, more accurately, the closest approximation the aging pipes could muster). After testing the water with her hand, she stepped forward and stood under the gentle stream.

A quiet groan left her lips as the hot water soaked her hair and body, simultaneously relaxing her and waking her fully. She cupped a decent amount of shampoo in her hand and began lathering her hair. And of course, while she did so, her mind began to wander. To the dream she had last night. To the events of the past weekend. To her new homework assignments from yesterday's classes. To her assignments due today. She did them all, right?

Max thought back. Tuesdays meant AP English, Photography, then after lunch, Chemistry, and Media Literacy. Anything due? English was all reading this time, which she could finish in her room after her shower. She finished with the Literacy reading last night. Sorta. It kinda put her to sleep but she did wake up and made an effort to finish it before finally conking out completely. Chem always made her cross-eyed but thankfully, Warren was able to help her with that one after dinner in the cafeteria. Photography was done. For once, she had managed to find her muse and completed her assignment early: a juxtaposition of man-made and nature. A quick trip to the American Rust with Chloe and Rachel knocked that one out on Saturday.

Sigh…

Finished with her hair for the moment, Max took hold of her loofah and body wash and started to scrub herself clean.

Hanging out with Rachel and Chloe was always a bittersweet time for Max. On one hand, she got to hang out with two of her best friends at their hideout, away from prying eyes. She got to smile at their antics, listen to their stories, laugh at their jokes, and almost feel like a normal teenager for a bit. On the other hand, being around the two was a constant reminder of five years of separation, of pain, of a deep-seated guilt she doubted would ever go away. Okay, so Chloe was fine with her now (she had a feeling that Rachel had a lot to do with that) and Rachel seemed like she enjoyed hanging out with her, too (she had a feeling that Chloe had a lot to do with that), but there was always a nagging thought in her head that they sometimes just tolerated her presence. They were dating, after all, and Max was the walking definition of a fifth wheel. Maybe she should just leave them alone for a bit?

Done scrubbing, Max stood under the shower fully, rinsing both her hair and body. Once finished, she reached into her caddie, grabbed the tube of depilatory cream, and got to work.

The fact that she was questioning the strength of her friendship with Rachel while actively using a gift from her wasn’t lost on Max. It simply fueled her own confusion and self-doubt. Maybe Rachel was just being nice to the lonely hipster? Maybe she just pitied the introvert who always did what she could to hide from the world behind her antique Polaroid? Max had tried to decline the gift but if there’s one thing she absolutely knew for certain, it was impossible to say no to Rachel.

“Trust me, Max,” she said with a smile. “The way you skin will feel after this is so much better than shaving. No nicks, ever, and no razor burn. Oh, but test it on the back of your hand first to make sure you won’t have a reaction. The last thing you want to do is find out you’re allergic after you’ve coated your legs with it. Or other areas.” This last part was said with a deliberate waggle of her eyebrows, causing Max to blush.

“I… Um, I appreciate the thought, Rachel, but--”

“Ah, ah! Don’t say no without trying it out at least. If you don’t like it, no worries, but I know you will. Even Chloe uses this stuff. Next time you see her, grab her legs and feel for yourself.”

Maybe Max would’ve stood a chance against Rachel. Really doubtful but maybe. But after Rachel name-dropped like that? She knew it was kinda pathetic but once she knew Chloe used it, too, well, all her potential arguments evaporated into ether.

Several minutes and a good second rinse later, Max was clean and, as Chloe once joked, “smooth as a choir boy.” She dried herself, wrapped the towel around her body, slipped back into her flip-flops, then left the bathroom. In the hall, she could hear more activity from a few rooms, indicating that some of her neighbors were waking as well. This prompted her to hurry to her room lest she become the focus of someone’s, anyone’s, attention. Only after she was back in her room and safely hidden away from the world did she relax.

Hanging her towel over the back of her chair, Max opted not to dress immediately and instead grabbed a bottle of lotion from her caddie. It was another gift from Rachel. “Apply right after your shower and I guarantee some of the softest skin Chloe will ever touch,” she had said, apparently aware of Max’s ultimate weak spot. The problem, which wasn’t really a problem, was she was absolutely right. And while Max wasn’t a vain person by any stretch of the imagination, she did kinda like the feeling of soft, smooth skin. Well, on herself. Not like she got to touch others or anything ‘cause that sounds wrong, but sometimes, Rachel would grab her hands while they spoke or Chloe would hug her close and then she’d get to feel how they felt and crap, that totally sounds wrong, doesn’t it?

Another sigh as she finished. She sat on her desk chair, letting the lotion do its thing. She never liked putting on clothes immediately after applying lotion since it would cling and feel weirdly sticky. Instead, she wiped her hands on her towel and grabbed her reading assignment for AP English to try and finish it before class.

Again, though, her mind began to wander, this time to last night’s dream. Usually, she forgot her dreams the moment she woke up unless it was a nightmare, but this one was quite memorable. Chloe was manning the helm of their pirate ship, the wheel looking suspiciously like the steering wheel of her truck, complete with a beanie with a skull and crossbones on the front. Rachel was there, too, wearing a tricorne hat and was apparently the captain of their vessel. Max was wearing her eye patch and was a crew member or cabin boy. Girl? Yeah, cabin girl. She knew in the way you just know things in dreams that all three were sailing back to their hideaway in Arcadia Bay having successfully stolen gold, waffles, and cigarettes from some noble. But what Max remembered the most was that as time passed, Rachel and Chloe would take turns giving Max orders. It started small, like fetch me a drink or light me a cigarette, but the longer it went on, the more intimate the orders became. Remove my boots. Hold my hand. Rub my shoulders. Touch my legs. And with every order given, Max would get more hot and bothered. Until finally, Rachel and Chloe both ordered her to strip. They stared wantonly at her nude form while Max basked in the warm glow of the sun and their attention. And then, after waiting forever, they approached and began touching her, light strokes, across her shoulders, neck, back, arms, just everywhere.

Until her alarm went off.

Which sucked. But what if it didn’t? How far would things have gone? Max could picture it clearly. Their light touches would become firmer and more insistent. Their hands would travel to much less innocent places. They’d order her to her knees and tell her to strip them of their clothing piece by piece. Maybe with just her teeth. And when they both stood gloriously nude before her, she’d... they'd...

Max tore her hands away from body and shot up from her chair. Nothing, she told herself as she paced her room. She’d do nothing. They’d do nothing. It wasn’t going to happen and wishing it would was pointless. Rachel and Chloe were dating each other and were happy together. Maybe if Max hadn’t ignored her best friend for five years, maybe if she wasn’t such a loser, she’d have a chance. But she did and she was, so there wasn’t. And trying to forget that and just enjoy a moment to herself would just leave her feeling empty and guilty afterwards, so why bother? It wasn’t worth it.

It took several minutes but eventually, Max calmed down enough that she was able to shove everything down where it belonged. She sat at her desk again and tried reading her assignment and just ignore everything else. And it worked. Max was able to focus on the chapter and actually derive some meaning from its contents. Hopefully, that meant that if Mrs. Hoida had a pop quiz, she could actually pass it with something above a mediocre grade. One could only hope.

The slamming of a door outside her room startled Max to awareness. What the hell was that for? She was about to start reading again when the clock on her phone caught her attention.

9:57 AM.

“CRAP.” She was about to be late! She’d have to haul some major ass if she wanted to get to class before the bell. She quickly threw on her shoes, not bothering unlacing and retying them, tossed on her favorite hoodie, grabbed her messenger bag, then tore out of her room.

As bad a student as she felt she was, she was rarely tardy. She never really skipped, either, except that one time with Rachel and Chloe (and wasn’t it always them that persuaded her into minor acts of rebellion?) so she didn’t want to start getting a rep as a slacker now. She hurried, her pace alternating between a brisk walk and a jog, not quite reaching the level of running. She was, however, laser-focused on reaching her class on time, which is why she failed to notice a few people staring at her as she passed. She normally had a sixth sense for other people’s attention and would do everything humanly possible to avoid it, but with less than a minute left to go, that sense was considerably distracted.

Thankfully, Mrs. Hoida’s class was the first door on the right as soon as she entered the main building. She shot inside just in the nick of time. She let loose a huge sigh of relief as the bell sounded with her already inside the classroom. Not tardy! Yes! The day was looking up.

“Max?”

Dammit. Spoke to soon. Max turned to face her teacher. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Hoida, but I was so caught up in reading your assignment that I lost track of time.”

“Max!”

Uh-oh. Max took a half step backwards. Mrs. Hoida sounded mad. Except that she didn’t look mad. Surprised? Shocked? That was weird. “I was on time, though. Right? Um, I’ll try to read the night before?” Max was grasping at excuses here but she really didn’t understand why Mrs. Hoida was looking at her like that. Or why the entire class was now looking at her like that. She shuffled back another step as she tightened her grip on the straps of her messenger bag. She really, REALLY, hated being the focus of everyone’s attention. “Um, is there something wrong?”

Mrs. Hoida cleared her throat. “You could say that.” She gestured with her head. “Your clothing?”

Max blinked. “My clothes? What about--” She looked down and took a good look at what she was wearing. Her favorite hoodie. Her worn Chucks. And a whole lot of air. Somehow, she had managed to leave her dorm room practically naked. Ran across campus naked. And now she was flashing her entire class. Like a complete idiot.

Flushing bright red in embarrassment, turning sheet white in horror, Max let out a strangled cry and dove into an alcove between the cabinets lining the wall and promptly began hoping the Earth would swallow her whole.


	2. Wonder Counselor

There were noises coming from all around the classroom. Miss Hoida’s voice was barking something to everyone. But Max couldn’t make out what she was saying over the pounding in her head.

She curled herself into a tight ball. This was a nightmare, an actual nightmare! Streaking across campus, standing in front of everyone (almost) completely naked. What kind of goddamn idiot was she to leave her room without clothes?!

If only this were a nightmare instead of an actual nightmare. Waitaminute. Maybe…? Max pinched herself hard. It really hurt. Shit! No, she was awake and this wasn’t a nightmare but an actual nightmare. Dammit!

She was doomed. She was going to be expelled, then arrested. Or arrested, then expelled. Which was it? She shook her head. Dammit, the order wasn't important! She was both arrested AND expelled. Miss Hoida was speaking to Principal Wells now, he was calling the police, all her classmates were posting all sorts of photos and videos all over Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and probably Pornhub right now. Victoria was probably having a field day with the names. Max Nudefield, coming right up.

Oh God, and her parents. If she was lucky, they’d only ground her for the next 20 years. But most likely, she’d be disowned. Max who? We had a lovely daughter, Maxine, yes, but she died recently. Unsullied and totally didn’t bring shame to her entire family. We don’t know anything about that weird girl that pranced around butt-naked across Blackwell, nosiree.

Max trembled as these thoughts kept churning in her head. She could imagine sirens in the distance, being led away in handcuffs, her classmates all shaking their heads in disgust even as their phones captured every single second of her arrest and expulsion. Couldn’t the ground just absorb her already? Can you die from sheer embarrassment? She hoped so. She wished she could just disappear. Put herself out of her own misery. Put herself out of everyone’s misery. Not like she hadn’t thought about it before. I mean, who’d miss her, right? Just another dumb idiot who abandoned her friends, couldn't do anything right, couldn’t even remember to put on clothes before becoming Blackwell’s Embarrassment. She caught the whimper in her throat before it became audible. No, stop, no noise. Noise attracts attention. Attention is never good. Just shut up, shut up shut up, stay here, and maybe your heart will just stop beating before--

“Max?”

Oh, shit. Here they are. The police. The beginning of the end. Goodbye, world. Goodbye photography dreams. Max tightened her arms around her legs and waited.

“Max? I’m coming inside, okay?”

Footsteps came closer to her hidey-hole. They stopped very close by. Max didn’t dare look up.

“Hello, Max. I’m Miss Carter, the guidance counselor. Do you remember me?”

It took several long moments for the actual words to pierce the fog in her head. When they finally did, Max tilted her head up a fraction to look out past her knees.

A woman was kneeling right outside the alcove she buried herself in. Long brown hair, glasses, rose-colored blouse, long black skirt. Super pretty. She did look kind of familiar.

Miss Carter continued. “We spoke sometime after orientation before classes started this semester. I spoke to all the new students briefly but you and I spoke in length about photography and possible career fields after graduation.”

Oh, right. Miss Carter. Max remembered now. She was probably the first adult she had ever spoken with outside of her parents and Joyce who seemed to actually care about her. She didn’t seem to mind Max’s mumbles or her hesitations and seemed genuinely intrigued by her love of photography.

Of course, Max couldn’t actually say any of this aloud right now. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She nodded very slightly.

That was enough for Miss Carter, though, who gave her a friendly smile. “I’m glad you remember. And hopefully, it’s a good memory.” She sat back on her heels. “Before we go any further, I want you to know that you are not in any trouble, Max. None whatsoever. I know you are probably pretty anxious about that so let me assuage your fears right out of the gate.”

Max blinked as she lifted her head. No police? No expulsion? That didn’t seem right. “…no police?”

“No. Now, if you had stumbled into class confused and incoherent, or bloody and bruised, or some combination of both, I’m certain Bernadette, sorry, Mrs. Hoida, would have called 911. Instead, she recognized something else was wrong and notified Principal Wells and myself immediately. I came as quickly as I could to help you.”

Huh. This was completely and utterly unexpected. So much so that Max had no idea how to respond, except with a soft, “thanks?”

Miss Carter seemed to take no offense from the tepid response. She shifted her stance slightly. “I know you’re quite confused at the moment but believe it or not, I do have answers for you. Why don’t we settle in a couple of chairs and talk things out? We’re alone,” she added quickly. “Mrs. Hoida vacated the classroom and is hosting AP English in the library today.”

So that was what all that noise was earlier. Max nodded and got to her feet. Or at least, tried to. She very quickly realized that not only were her legs numb but the had no leverage and was quite stuck. Her face turned red. “Um…”

“Here.” Miss Carter, having recognized the problem, reached forward. “Grab hold of my wrist.” She waited until Max had a decent grip. “Okay, one, two, three!”

Miss Carter stood and effortlessly lifted Max from her position on the floor. She swiftly moved to grab hold of Max’s elbow and waist as the girl’s knees buckled. “Don’t worry, I have you. Here, let’s just grab a seat. There you go, nice and easy.”

As Miss Carter gently guided Max to a chair at the closest table, it was all Max could do to not gawk. The woman’s grip, firm, yet gentle, the strength she felt in her arms, the lack of any strain when she pulled Max free… “You’re really strong,” she blurted, as she settled in the chair.

Miss Carter gave a gentle laugh. “Why, thank you. I actually do work out. Glad it came in handy today.” And just to keep the mood light, she flexed her right arm, the material of her blouse suddenly straining against the bulging bicep. She noticed Max’s eyes dilate slightly as her lips parted and made a mental note. An observation for later. For now, she took a seat across from Max, crossed her legs, and folded her hands on one knee.

“Before we begin," she began in a professional tone, "I want to assure you that anything you tell me will be held in the strictest of confidence. Everything you tell me will be for my ears alone. Unless what you tell me indicates you are a danger to yourself or others, nothing we discuss will ever be shared with anyone else.” She waited for Max to acknowledge her before relaxing her stance slightly. "Good. I just needed to get the HIPAA stuff out of the way first. I do have a complete write up of all that in my office which I'll be sure to give you later on.

"I also want you to know that I’m not just a guidance counselor but also a licensed therapist with a focus on teenage and young adult Dom/sub relationships. I’ve been doing this for a bit over a decade now, half of that time here at Blackwell Academy. But most importantly, know that I'm here for you. I may ask some questions that will make you uncomfortable, we may talk about things that are a bit embarrassing, but everything I do here is all for your benefit. If we ever come across a subject that is too sensitive, please let me know and we'll skip or work around it. Just understand the more open and honest with me you are, the better the aid I can provide. Okay?"

"Okay," Max nodded again, Miss Carter’s calm explanation and demeanor relaxing her quite a bit.

"Excellent. Now." Miss Carter reached into a leather bag that Max didn't notice before, withdrawing a small, plastic case that reminded her of a portable first aid kit. She opened it and withdrew a disposable glove. "Tell me, Max," she asked as she pulled the glove on, "are you a Domme or a sub?"

"A sub."

"Do you have a Dom in your life at the moment?"

Max shook her head. "No."

"Are you interested in having one in the future?"

She hesitated before answering. "Yes?"

Miss Carter gave her a gentle smile as she withdrew something else from her kit. "It's okay to not know for certain, Max. No pressure."

"Y-yeah, okay." She paused. "I think I'd like that. To have a Dom, I mean. Sometime. It's just that I'm…"

"Yes?"

Too stupid. Too slow. Too ugly. Too shy. "…not ready."

"And that's okay, too. Believe me, I'm all too aware of the pressure that society as a whole puts on singles to get in a relationship as quickly as possible. I've learned to phase it out."

"Really?" Max was surprised. "I didn't think you'd be single." She started. "I-I mean, not that being single is bad or anything, but you're just so pretty and strong, I just assumed you were, y'know… something? I guess?" She looked away and squirmed a bit.

Miss Carter chuckled. "Like I said, it's okay. What I'm going to do now is issue a tongue test that will tell me a bit more about your sub nature. Have you ever been tested or taken this sort of test before?" she asked, holding something that, to Max, looked like a transparent tongue depressor.

"Um, I took one of those home tests you get at the drug store."

"You're familiar with the concept, then. Good. This test is quite similar to those home tests except it's far more sensitive and accurate. The results are going to help me find a good starting point for us, okay?"

"Okay," Max replied with another nod.

Miss Carter indicated the strip in her hand. "I'm going to place this under your tongue. You'll need to hold it in place for at least 30 seconds. In the meantime, I'll be asking you some yes or no questions. All you have to do is nod or shake your head, okay?" She paused to let Max nod in agreement. "Say 'ah.'"

It was just like getting her temperature taken at the doctor's office. It was familiar, calming, and Max felt herself relax a bit more. But Miss Carter's first question blasted that sense of calm right out of the window.

"Have you ever had sexual intercourse or other heavy sexual contact, such as oral sex or mutual masturbation, with another person?"

Max turned bright red and looked down, embarrassment preventing her from maintaining eye contact. She slowly shook her head in the negative.

"Have you ever had any light sexual contact, such as petting beneath or over clothing, with another individual?"

Another shake of the head.

"Have you ever engaged in moderate or heavy kissing with another individual?"

Negative.

"Does the idea of engaging in any of these activities repulse or disgust you in any way?"

A pause, then a shake of the head.

"Have you ever masturbated or engaged in any other form of self-gratification or sexual exploration?"

A hesitant nod.

"Within the past 6 months?"

Negative.

"Do you ever have sexual fantasies?"

A very reluctant nod.

"Have you ever had any erotic dreams?"

An even more reluctant nod.

"Have you ever shared said fantasies or dreams with anyone else?"

A very firm shake.

"Do you keep a diary or journal?"

A nod.

"Have you ever written down said fantasies or dreams in your journal?"

A shake.

"Are you at all interested in engaging in any sexual activity with another individual at some point in the future?"

A pause and a very tiny nod.

"Okay." Miss Carter made several mental notes before reaching forward with her gloved hand. "I'll take that now."

Max lifted her head, still beet red by all the questions. Miss Carter had gone straight for the jugular. Max had no clue why that was but watching Miss Carter work, she started to wonder if it had something to do with the test. Some of her embarrassment was replaced with curiosity.

"Thank you for your honesty, Max. I know it wasn't easy answering all those questions. But it was all for a reason." While she spoke, Miss Carter took hold of an eye dropper from a small bottle. She carefully added two drops to the end of the strip that was in Max's mouth.

Max watched it go from clear to translucent immediately, then shifted hues several times before finally turning solid. The home test she took back in Seattle didn't react like that. She cleared her throat. "What does it mean?"

Miss Carter turned and gave Max a gentle smile. "Interestingly enough, nothing specific, but it did confirm a couple of things for me that will help us get you the right sort of guidance."

"Like what?"

"One moment." Miss Carter placed the strip into what appeared to be a resealable bag before removing her glove and stuffing it inside as well. "I'll dispose of this properly once we get to my office. For now, this will have to do." She put the bag in question inside the kit and closed it. "We don't want to simply throw it away in the classroom because the color change is a piece of personal information that no one else needs to know."

Max blinked, then nodded. Miss Carter was taking that whole privacy thing extremely seriously to not even throw trash away here. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, before I answer your question, let me ask a few more of my own. When you woke this morning, did you plan to go to class without your clothes?"

"No!" Max shook her head. "No, of course not. I don't know how that happened."

"Have you ever fantasized about being nude in public, or had any other exhibitionist leanings?"

Max shook her head again. "No, never. I-- I mean, those things aren't bad, they're just not me."

"This morning, in class, when you noticed you weren't wearing your clothes, how did you feel?"

"Utterly embarrassed." Max curled into herself again. "I still do."

"I take it you'd much rather be wearing clothes than not?"

Max nodded. "Yes."

"And yet, during our entire time together so far, not once have you asked me to get you any clothing, nor have you attempted to hide your nudity from me once you left your initial hiding spot."

Max froze. Oh dog, she was right. This entire time, she had been sitting in front of the school's guidance counselor, chatting away like everything was normal, still just dressed in her Chucks and hoodie. And nothing else. She didn't even zip up her hoodie! Max shuddered violently and clutched at her knees. What the hell was wrong with her? Did she secretly love showing off her body? Did she seriously want everyone to stare and point and laugh?!

"Max. Look at me."

Trembling, Max raised her head to see Miss Carter looking at her with patience and understanding. "It's okay, Max. This is scary, yes, and you're confused as to what all this means. 'Am I an exhibitionist? Do I like being humiliated that much? Is this my life?' No, to all those questions. What you've done, completely without realizing it, was call for help."

Tears were beginning to threaten to fall. "…wha--" Max swallowed the lump in her throat. "What do you mean?"

"You know you're a sub. The test I just gave you was inconclusive of what kind of sub you are or wish to be, even unconsciously, likely because you've never given any serious thought on the matter. Correct?"

Max lowered her gaze. "…n-no. Never."

Miss Carter's voice was gentle. "And why haven't you, Max?"

Because I'm too dumb. Because I'm a disappointment. Because I don't deserve a Domme. Because I don't deserve to be happy. "…I don't know."

It was a lie, Miss Carter knew, but it was also painfully obvious Max wasn't ready to talk about it yet. This wasn't the time to push the issue, though, so she let it go. "What you did, strange as it sounds, was declare quite loudly that you are seeking the attention of a Dom. It was loud because you've spent so much time repressing your own desires that you didn't know how else to do it. It was unconscious because you've been repressed for so long that you weren't even aware of it any more."

Max sniffed. "…does that mean I'm broken?"

The response was quick and firm. "Absolutely not." Miss Carter took a moment to calm herself. It always pained her to see her charges blame themselves for things completely outside of their control. "I know this will be incredibly difficult to believe but what you did is not unique. There are documented cases, even here in Blackwell's history, where other subs had behaved in a similar fashion. You just don't hear about them as they're not reported as such. Instead, they're covered up with headlines like, 'drunk teen found roaming the woods after dark,' or 'woman strips nude in the back of taxi on the way home.' And that's only if those incidents even make it to the news at all. This is the main reason why Mrs. Hoida and Principal Wells contacted me instead of law enforcement. You called for help; I'm here to provide it."

Max sniffed again and wiped at her eyes with her sleeves. She nodded. "O-okay." She took a shuddering breath. "Okay." She sensed movement in front of her and saw that Miss Carter was holding a out tissue for her. She took it with a soft "Thanks" and blew her nose.

Miss Carter waited for Max to calm down further. "Now that we have a general understanding of what brought you here today, we need to decide on our next course of action. I have an idea for one that I believe you would benefit from greatly that also plays to your strengths."

"My strengths?"

"Your insatiable curiosity. Outside of your absolute love of photography and your loyalty to your friends, it is your most defining trait."

Max blinked. "Um, how did…?"

Miss Carter tapped the side of her head. "Photographic memory. Principal Wells brought me your student file to study before I came to you. And I'm quite proficient at reading between the lines."

"Oh." Max wasn't sure what to say but she did think it was the nicest way she's ever been called a "nosy photo nerd."

Miss Carter rose from her seat. "Let's head over to my office. There are some things I'll need to type up and print out for you, and a few other details to cover."

"Okay." Nodding, Max rose from her chair, before pausing and abruptly sitting again. Her face turned beet red as she looked up at Miss Carter, shifting her arms to cover herself. "Um, do you think I could get some clothes now, first?" She'd had enough of flashing everyone for three lifetimes.

"Certainly, Max. Let me step outside real quick and make some arrangements."

As Miss Carter stepped away, she paused to pick up a cell phone from the table closest to the door. Tapping the screen, the room suddenly got very quiet. It was only then that Max realized that there had been a white noise generator playing in the background, masking their conversation. She stared at her guidance counselor in wide-eyed surprise.

Miss Carter glanced at Max. "Just in case there was anyone outside the door, trying to listen in." Her gentle smile turned into a confident grin. "I take privacy very seriously, Max."

And with that, Miss Carter stepped outside.


	3. Outline of a Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments I've received so far have been immensely encouraging. Thank you to everyone who has given this story a chance.

Max wasn't sure what to expect when Miss Carter pulled her from her hiding spot but patience, understanding, and the beginnings of something akin to hope were certainly not on the list. But that's what she got. Sadly, the moment the door was opened and Max overheard another voice right outside, that speck of not-anxiety vanished without a trace. Very quickly, Max shuffled back into her original hidey-hole, this time standing, and hoped that Miss Carter would make whoever it was go away.

The hall should have been empty. Which is why when Miss Carter opened the classroom door and spied two students sitting side by side on the floor a few feet from the entrance, she stopped dead in her tracks. "May I help you?"

The two students spun around as soon as the door opened. "Miss Carter?"

"Yes?" was the puzzled reply. A moment later, recognition struck. "Rachel? Kate? What are you doing here?"

The two blondes hurriedly rose to their feet, straightening their clothes as they did. Rachel spoke first. "I'm sorry, Miss Carter, but we were worried about Max so we cut class. Is she okay?"

Miss Carter shifted slightly to block their view into the classroom (not that either seemed like they were going to try) and narrowed her gaze at the two. "Cutting class?" she stated, ignoring the question. "Not the sort of behavior I'd expect from either of you but especially you, Miss Marsh. I imagine that Principal Wells will have much to say about this."

Kate shuffled her feet nervously but held her ground. "Please, Miss Carter, don't blame Rachel. It's my fault that she's missing class." Rachel blinked at that and looked like she was about to protest but Kate kept speaking. "I was already in class when Max showed up like… well, like that." She cleared her throat. "And I knew something was very wrong. Max doesn't do things even remotely like that so I was afraid that maybe it was some kind of dementia episode or something. After we got to the library, I told Mrs. Hoida that I needed to go to the restroom and as soon I left, I texted Rachel that Max needed some clothes right away, it was an emergency, and to meet me here."

Miss Carter raised an eyebrow at the confession. Definitely not the sort of behavior she'd expect from Kate. "She didn't confiscate your phone like the others?"

"The way Kate explained it to me," Rachel cut in, "Mrs. Hoida trusts her so much she never asked for her phone. She also didn't question her need to go to the restroom, either. And Kate's definitely not the kind of person to abuse that sort of trust." She placed a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder. "When I got her messages, I did the same thing in Theater since Mr. Keaton trusts me, too, except I went to my dorm first and grabbed a set of clothes." She nudged the bag next to her with a foot. "I wasn't sure what exactly was going on but Kate doesn't text me that often so I knew it had to be a real emergency. And it's for Max."

"Hmm." Internally, Miss Carter was impressed with the level of loyalty these two were showing Max. They were risking detention at the very least, not to mention sowing distrust to a pair of teachers who held them in such high regard. She kept her face neutral, though. "So you knew something was wrong with Max, alerted Rachel, got a change of clothes, then sat outside? Why didn't you knock or try to enter the room?"

"When I got here, I was going to," Rachel replied, "but Kate stopped me and explained what had happened. So I knew something was probably up in the class. I tried to listen in to find out if Max was still inside but all I heard was noise."

Kate picked up the conversation thread. "When Rachel said that, I tried listening as well. I recognized the sound as a white noise generator. I sometimes use one myself in the dorms to help me sleep."

"And when Kate pointed that out, we figured out that someone must be in the room with Max and didn't want to be disturbed. So we decided to camp out here until someone inside opened the door." Rachel shrugged. "We thought it might've been Principal Wells since none of the security people would've bothered with anything like that. I'm glad it was you, though, being a woman and all."

"Rachel shared one of her ear buds with me and played music the entire time, just in case things got loud in the class and we weren't supposed to hear it."

The two fell silent and waited for Miss Carter to say something, possibly even to pass judgement. After several moments, she puffed out a sigh.

"While a small part of me doesn't condone what you did, specifically, skipping class, the larger part understands you were just concerned for your friend and were doing what you could to look out for her. Plus, both of you showed remarkable restraint and consideration despite your worry. I can't very well find fault in that." Her words and her small appreciative smile dispelled the tension in the air and both Kate and Rachel relaxed. Miss Carter held out her hand for the bag of clothes, which Rachel gave her. "Wait here, please."

Miss Carter reentered the classroom and shut the door behind her. Not seeing Max, she quickly deduced what happened. "It's okay to come out now, Max. They're still outside." Max cautiously poked her head out from behind the cabinet and Miss Carter smiled. "You have two very amazing friends waiting for your, both of whom are quite willing to break the rules just to ensure your well-being."

Max nodded, her expression a cross between sheepish, embarrassed, and grateful. "Thank you. Um. I overheard part of it." She took the bag of clothing offered by Miss Carter. "I owe them so much," she whispered.

"Well, that's between you and them but if I had to guess, I'd say that so long as you emerge from this room in good spirits, that would be payment enough." She took hold of her leather bag. "Go ahead and get dressed and meet us outside. We'll all head to my office together."

A couple of minutes later, and Max opened the classroom door, dressed in a pair of Rachel's skinny jeans and a designer tee, as well as her hoodie. She tried her best to raise her gaze from the floor. "H-hey guys. Um, thanks for--" She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. She automatically raised her arms and hugged Rachel back. "I--"

"I'm glad you're okay, Max. We were super worried for you." Rachel gave her one more squeeze then let go. "Kate was so awesome, sneaking out of class like a pro," she said with wide smile.

"Ahem."

Rachel shot Miss Carter a grin. "Sorry, Miss Carter." She turned back to Max and adopted an overly stern expression. "Not that you should ever cut class. That's bad. Do as I say, not as I do."

Max snickered. Rachel had a knack for cheering her up. She turned to Kate who stepped forward and gave Max her own hug, not as forceful but just as heartfelt. "How are you feeling, Max?" Kate asked as she let go.

"Better now. Still a bit confused, still embarrassed." Max shuffled her feet. "But Miss Carter said I wasn't in trouble. And that she can help?" She looked to the guidance counselor in question.

Miss Carter nodded. "Yes to both. You and I still have things to discuss and now I need to get permission slips for these two brigands so they don't get docked for skipping." She motioned for them to follow.

Max, Kate, and Rachel fell in step behind her, Rachel curling her arm around Max's right while Kate took gentle hold of Max's left hand. The dual gestures of affection gave Max an attack of the warm fuzzies. She smiled, looking down slightly as she walked.

"You're really going to do that for us?" Kate asked Miss Carter as they went.

"There would be absolutely no benefit in punishing you for doing the right thing, so yes."

"Will our teachers really accept a note this late into class, though?" This came from Rachel.

"So long as neither one of you emphasized exactly why you were skipping, yes." She turned to look over her shoulder. "I trust that you three will be able to keep silent about the specifics?"

"Yes."

"Sure."

"Y-yeah." Max glanced up from the floor. "Thank you for doing that, Miss Carter."

"You're welcome."

A few minutes later, Max and Miss Carter sat in the latter's office, Rachel and Kate having already left with written excuses in hand along with stern instructions to head directly to class as any delays wouldn't be so well received. Max sat in a plush chair facing the desk, waiting for Miss Carter to finish typing something on her PC. She took a moment to look around the room as she never actually stepped foot inside before. A couple of bookcases lined the back wall, bracketing a space that held diplomas, presumably a Master's and a Doctorate. A comfortable looking couch lined the wall to her right. Looking at it made her smile a bit. Of course a therapist would have a couch in her office. She supposed it was cliché but maybe some people were more comfortable talking about their problems face to face on a couch than over a desk.

"That couch is actually quite comfortable for naps." Miss Carter's voice snapped Max back to the present. "I've had to use it for that purpose quite a number of times during my tenure here."

Max wondered if Miss Carter was going to need a nap after dealing with her. "I guess some students tire you out more than others?"

"Hmm, not really that. More like, 'I can't believe I just binge-watched Star Trek on a weeknight, I'm going to die if I don't get a nap right now.'" She smiled at Max's surprised expression. "I refuse to be a responsible adult 100% of the time. I tried it before. Turns out, it wasn't very fun."

"Oh." Max felt a smile grow on her face. "'Do as I say, not as I do?'" she quoted from Rachel.

"Precisely. Now." She turned to her printer and withdrew a couple sheets of paper. "Here's the preliminary idea I mentioned before. I believe it has merit but, of course, I want your opinion on it before we commit."

"Okay." Max took the sheets and started reading. There was some legal-sounding stuff in the preface that seemed to boil down to the statement, "this is a consensual project." That as an undeclared sub, it was critical for Max to get exposure to as many different lifestyle elements as possible. That this exposure wasn't to force her to make a decision on what she was or make any sort of declaration immediately but instead to better understand herself and her options as a sub. That as an unattached sub, this needed to be done in as safe an environment as practical. That Blackwell Academy, as an institute that specialized in not just the fine arts and college preparatory courses but was also a facility that caters to D/S relationships and their dynamics, was such an environment. That Max, already a student at Blackwell, was doing well enough in her classes that this sort of study would not interfere with her current workload. That if there came a point in the future where her classwork did begin to suffer, her workload would be eased to facilitate the completion of her D/S studies.

That caught Max by surprise. She looked at Miss Carter to ask her about it, who stopped raised her hand to stop her before she could say anything.

"Please, read it to completion. I'll answer any questions once you're done."

Max nodded and continued to read. That, if her workload was eased, once the D/S studies were completed, her original workload would resume. That if needed, she would be granted make up assignments and tutoring to bring her up to speed in time for graduation. That if needed, summer courses would be made available so she could graduate from Blackwell Academy.

That was incredibly generous. Was Blackwell really able to do all this for her? Did Miss Carter have authority to declare that? Did that mean that Principal Wells had okay'd this prior? Max shook her head. She wasn't anything special. She didn't deserve this kind of consideration. But it was nice to see it on paper.

She turned to the next page. That the most effective method of facilitating her exposure to as many lifestyle elements as possible was to meet with each Dom and sub currently living in the Prescott dormitory. That Max was to set the pace of the meetings, insofar as the other students have time to devote to the task. That Max would be tasked with meeting with a minimum of 75% of the students currently housed in the dormitory. That her assignment would be to interview and interact with each individual Dom and sub. That after said meeting, Max was to write a report on the event, focusing on her thoughts, opinions, things she's learned, things she would research on her own, anything that may have piqued her interest. That this report was to be delivered to the guidance counselor the following morning via physical or electronic copy. That these reports were not to be shared with any other parties and would be held in the strictest of confidence. That the D/S study would be recognized as complete at the discretion of the guidance counselor and Principal Wells.

Max slowly lowered the papers, her face having lost almost all its color. She stared at Miss Carter wide-eyed, who was looking at Max with a growing sense of alarm. Max swallowed but couldn't get rid of the lump in her throat. "…y-you." Her voice came out as a raspy whisper. She coughed and tried again. "You want me to… t-to sleep with everyone in the dorm…?"

"No, Max. No, no, no." Miss Carter stepped from behind her desk and hurried over to Max. She crouched down so she was eye-to-eye with her and took Max's hand into her own, giving them a comforting squeeze. "Max, I would never ask that of you or anyone. That would be utterly reprehensible, unethical, and immoral in more ways I can count. The plan is for you to simply speak with your peers, to get their thoughts on being a Dom or a sub, their personal opinions, find out how they live their lives now versus any future plans, that sort of thing. Nothing more. Sex isn't even in the equation."

Max closed her eyes and nodded. "O-okay. S-sorry."

"There's no need to apologize to me, Max. In fact, I owe you an apology if something I wrote mislead you to that conclusion. That means I haven't done my job to accurately explain the plan."

Max shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I saw 'interact' and immediately thought it meant sex. That was stupid of me."

"Max, look at me." Miss Carter waited for Max to face her. "You are not stupid. Don't say that. You just have no experience in these sorts of matters and made the only logical conclusion available to you. It's my duty to properly inform you of your choices and options, to instruct you and offer guidance. I failed. And I am sorry."

Max blinked. She opened her mouth to argue but nothing came out. She was too surprised at Miss Carter's words, her apology, and her conviction. No one had ever spoken like that to her and for her. Ever.

Miss Carter, in the meantime, stood and took the papers from Max, and fed them into the shredder in her office. She then sat back down behind her desk and started editing the project text. "What I need to do is reword a few things, make certain to specify that any interactions that take place are mutually consensual and don't mean sexual contact of any sort. Instead, it needs to be defined as instruction or demonstrative actions. That's not to say that any sexual activity cannot take place; that will between you and the other students. But sex and sexual contact will never be the primary reason for the interaction."

"Okay."

"One of the main reasons I'm approaching this plan in this way is I believe you would benefit far more by getting this sort of information face to face from your fellow students rather than dry textbooks or a series of impartial lectures from just one individual." Miss Carter paused in her typing. "Oh, that's right, I forgot to ask. Max?"

"Um, yes?"

"Do you have a sexual preference when it comes to this project? As in, do you prefer all boys, all girls, or a mix of both? I wrote the 75% figure under the assumption you wanted to keep things restricted to one or the other but if you actually wanted a mix, I'll change that figure to 50%. Otherwise, the number of students you'd have to meet with would be far too overwhelming."

Max bit her lip. Her own sexual orientation was a point of internal contention, especially of late. She wasn't sure she was ready to openly admit to having the secret hots for a couple of her friends. She wondered if she should do a mix of both to try and see if maybe talking to some of the guys would fix her, make things less confusing. The moment she gave the matter serious, though, she shuddered. "Girls only. Um. Please." She fought down another shudder as she rubbed her arms. "…sorry."

"No apologies, Max. None are needed here. Remember, the more honest you are, the better the help I can provide. I wanted to clarify that aspect as there needs to be no confusion, nothing to make you feel like you're being forced to do something you don't want." Miss Carter saved and reprinted the file. "This is all for your benefit, to help you find out more about yourself. To answer your call for help and make certain you never have to do so again."

Max took the papers from Miss Carter and reread everything, noting the different wording in places, how the consensual nature of the project and interviews was stressed multiple times. How it specified no interaction was needed from anyone in the boy's dormitory. That there was no requirement nor any expectation of sexual contact. Max breathed a soft sigh of relief. Everything else was the same and was agreeable to her. "Um, do I sign here on the bottom?"

"Not just yet. Once you and I agree on everything here, we'll both take it to Principal Wells who will review everything, likely ask us both a couple of questions, then rubber stamp it. Then, we'll both sign it. I'll make one copy and keep that in my files. You'll keep the other."

"Okay. So, we're going to see Principal Wells now?"

"Soon. There's just one more thing I wish to offer you." Miss Carter opened a drawer in her desk and withdrew a small box. She slid it across her table towards Max. "Open this, please, and tell me what's inside."

Curious, Max did exactly that. Inside the box was a black choker or collar made from braided leather. She looked up. "It's a collar?"

Miss Carter nodded. "Correct. And tell me, what does a collar signify?"

Max knew this one. "Ownership. The person wearing it is a Slave and is owned by someone else."

"Hmm. Not… precisely correct, but I can understand the confusion. Let me clarify." Miss Carter leaned forward. "A collar can indicate ownership, yes, but not everyone who wears one is a Slave. Only certain subs are Slaves, just as only certain Dommes are Owners." She pointed to the box in Max's hands. "Collars have different purposes and meanings depending on how they're designed. For example, a slave collar is quite recognizable as they all have at least one usable ring for the purposes of attaching a leash or lead, minimum. No matter what the collar is made out of, the presence of a ring signifies a slave."

Max thought back at some people she's seen wearing a collar or choker in public and for the most part, couldn't recall anyone wearing one with a ring. Except Chloe. But only sometimes. Sometimes? Max blinked. Does that mean that sometimes, she and Rachel… She blushed brightly and shook her head to get rid of the mental image. No! Bad Max! No thinking of your best friend in front of the guidance counselor. Or ever, really.

Miss Carter saw Max thinking deeply about something before turning red and shaking her head clear. Another mental note for later. For now, she opted to continue with her explanation. "As you can see, the collar you have there lacks a ring so there's no mistaking it for a slave collar. The braided design indicates something else entirely: that the person wearing it is in training. The lack of a clasp on the back also shows no attachment to a Domme. The person wearing it is independent."

Max took another look at the collar, now noticing the lack of a ring or any other decorative elements. She took it out of the box and was surprised at how soft and supple the leather was. She turned it over in her hands a couple of times, seeing the lack of a traditional buckle. Instead, both ends tapered off to a strip of leather, presumably so it could be tied at the back of the neck.

She looked back up. "Do I need to wear this? Since I'm a sub and in training?"

Miss Carter shook her head. "You are under no obligation whatsoever to wear it or any symbol of a submissive. You don't even have to agree to the plan we've worked on. No matter what happens, it must be consensual. Otherwise, none of this will work out. The only reason I brought up the collar is for your benefit and protection. If your peers see you wearing a collar, any collar, they will be encouraged to dismiss what happened this morning as part of your lifestyle as a sub. Any Domme who pays attention to what kind of collar you're wearing will likely consider what happened as part of your training."

Max blinked. That was actually a pretty good idea. There was just one small problem. "But I wasn't wearing a collar this morning. Won't they see the collar and think it's just an excuse or fake, me trying to get out of getting in trouble?"

"Extremely doubtful. In the unlikely event you were somehow faking things in order to get out of taking a test, for example, Blackwell wouldn't be handing you a collar to hide behind. Likely, you'd be escorted off campus following a rather quick expulsion. Being seen with one after the fact would easily be accepted as you passing whatever test you endured. And while this wouldn't stop every rumor, gossipers being what they are, it would likely prevent a majority."

That fact helped Max make her decision. That last thing she wanted was even more people making fun of her. She was sure everyone had enough ammunition to last into eternity. Maybe wearing this would cut the numbers down a bit. She took a deep breath and started tying the collar behind her neck, then paused. "Wait, isn't a Domme supposed to put a collar on subs for them?" She thought she had read something about that a while back.

"It depends," Miss Carter answered. "Though the practice isn't universal, I'm a bit of a traditionalist. So for me, yes, a Domme places a collar on a sub but only when the pair have declared themselves to one another. You placing a collar on yourself is perfectly fine. Me placing that collar on you, though?" She shrugged. "Way more connotations."

"Oh." Max bit her lip.

"And don't say 'sorry.'"

Max shut her jaw with a click of the teeth and looked down. She didn't know what to say if she couldn't apologize so she kept quiet and finished tying the knot on her collar.

Her collar.

Okay, so it was just a trainee's collar and didn't declare her to any one person in particular but still. It was a collar. She was a sub wearing a collar. Max closed her eyes and brushed her fingertips along the edge of the collar. Something about it just felt… good? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Something to think about later.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Miss Carter looking at her, her expression understanding and kind. Max flushed slightly but kept her gaze. Miss Carter nodded and stood. "Ready to see Principal Wells, Max?"

"Yes."


	4. Charts and Graphs

Sometime later, Max was comfortably ensconced in her room. The meeting with Principal Wells went as smoothly as Miss Carter anticipated, with him reviewing Max’s new D/S study plan, asking the two of them a few clarifying questions, then giving his stamp of approval and signature. Miss Carter and herself signed it as well and made it official.

The only hiccup to the whole event was while she and Miss Carter were headed back to the office, the bell had rung and the halls were abruptly filled with students scurrying to and fro, headed to their lockers, dashing to the restroom, and making their way to their next class. Part of Max hoped to see either Kate or Rachel in the crowd but mostly, she just tried to make herself smaller and unnoticed. Some of these people likely saw her this morning and could be looking at her right now. Staring at her. Whispering about her. Noticing her collar, laughing, spreading rumors, posting stuff everywhere. Max rubbed her arm, the eyes of everyone around her like ants crawling across her skin. She only relaxed when she made it into Miss Carter’s office.

Miss Carter apparently had an 11:00 appointment who was waiting outside when they arrived. Miss Carter had asked him to wait momentarily, taking Max inside and closing the office door. Quickly and efficiently, she had filed away her copy of Max’s study plan and wrote up a permission slip for Max to show to her first and second period teachers, but not her afternoon classes.

“This morning was quite hectic and a roller coaster of emotions for you,” Miss Carter had explained. “So I have no problems excusing you from Photography today. However, missing the entire day wouldn’t help you at all. I know you’re nervous about facing your peers but the longer you delay, the tougher it will be. Best to face things head-on in this instance.”

Max knew she was right. As much as she’d like to hide in her room and never emerge again, she had to face the music eventually. Best to start today. Thankfully, “today” meant “later today,” giving her time to regroup and try to decide if she’d risk eating lunch in the cafeteria, somewhere off campus, or just skip completely.

Her stomach took that moment to remind her that she actually didn’t eat any breakfast this morning. One quick look revealed a distinct lack of granola bars or Pop-Tarts, too, so skipping lunch wasn’t going to be an option, after all.

Something to deal with later, though. For now, Max decided that while she was in her room, she’d start actually figuring out the best way to approach her new study plan. Taking out a piece of paper, she began jotting down the names of her dormmates:

> Victoria Chase  
>  Brooke Scott  
>  Kate Marsh  
>  Rachel Amber  
>  Dana Ward  
>  Juliet Watson  
>  Stella Hill  
>  Taylor Christensen  
>  Courtney Wagner  
>  Alyssa Anderson  
>  Sarah Burch  
>  Steph Gingrich  
> 

So, 12 girls total. 75% of 12 means… 9? Max double-checked the number using the calculator app on her phone. Yeah, 9 girls to interview. But which ones?

She immediately crossed off Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney from the list. All three hated her guts and wouldn’t help. So, nine people left. Easy. But wait, wasn’t Sarah a Vortex member? Max bit her lip. She might not want to help, either. If that happened, that meant only eight people. That wasn’t good.

But then again, Dana and Juliet were Vortex members, too. They’d still help, right? So maybe other Vortex members would, too. If Victoria told them they could, anyway. Can’t count on it, though. So what happens if not enough people want to help her?

Max thought about it. If that happened, Miss Carter might tell her to make up the numbers by talking to some of the guys. The thought made her shudder again. If, and it was a huge if, she had to do that, Warren? Except Brooke would then hate her guts and she’d refuse to help. Probably best to get her help first. Then, if she had to go to Warren, it wouldn’t matter.

Waitaminute. Maybe she could get help from a peer not on campus: Chloe! Okay, the thought of actually speaking to Chloe about stuff like this made her squirm in embarrassment already but it’d be a lot better than speaking to Warren, right? Maybe. She wrote down Chloe’s name with a question mark. She’d have to ask Miss Carter later today. Find out what to do if not enough people would help her, and if getting Chloe’s input would be acceptable.

So, what order to go with? Max tapped her pen against the page as she considered. As much as she just wanted to go to her friends first (or at least, the friendly ones), she also knew that saving the others for last would just lump all the tough ones together which would make it really hard to finish. So she needed to spread them out more. Can’t use age since everyone was 18. She didn’t know everyone’s birthdays so she couldn’t use that. Hair color? No, too many matches. It would leave her with pretty much two clumps of people and a couple of stragglers. Alphabetically?

Max redid her list to get a better visual:

> Amber, Rachel  
>  Anderson, Alyssa  
>  Burch, Sarah  
>  Chase, Victoria  
>  Christensen, Taylor  
>  Gingrich, Steph  
>  Hill, Stella  
>  Marsh, Kate  
>  Price, Chloe (?)  
>  Scott, Brooke  
>  Wagner, Courtney  
>  Ward, Dana  
>  Watson, Juliet  
> 

Hmm. That actually looked a lot better. Even with the Vortex people included. She got to start with Rachel, have Kate and maybe Chloe in the middle, and end with a couple of friendly faces. She started to think that this would be achievable.

Taking another piece of paper, Max made a rough grid and rewrote her list, adding a few extra bits:

**name** | **Y/N** | **LGBT** | **Domme/sub** | **notes**  
---|---|---|---|---  
Amber, Rachel  
Anderson, Alyssa  
Burch, Sarah  
Chase, Victoria  
Christensen, Taylor  
Gingrich, Steph  
Hill, Stella  
Marsh, Kate  
Price, Chloe  
Scott, Brooke  
Wagner, Courtney  
Ward, Dana  
Watson, Juliet  
  
Max nodded to herself. This was better. As much as charts were more a Warren or Brooke thing than hers, this was super helpful getting her thoughts organized. Something she could reference quickly afterwards: if she was able to get the interview, sexual orientation (LGBT just took up less space), if she was a Domme or sub, and general notes. She probably should take a notepad or something with her when she got started. As embarrassing as it might be to write actual notes on, well, whatever was going to be said, better to be a bit embarrassed than to forget most of the conversation and not be able to write the paper afterwards.

She looked at her phone and saw that time had flown by. Second period wasn’t out yet but it was getting close. If she wanted to get lunch in the cafeteria, she should leave now to beat the rush. Or, she could try and visit Miss Carter first, ask her about what to do if too many people refuse to help.

Her stomach took that moment to remind her of its currently empty status, making the decision for her. Okay, lunch first, then Miss Carter. And then class.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves (it didn’t work but at least she tried), Max gathered her bag, made sure she had everything she needed, make extra sure she didn’t strip off her clothes without even realizing it, and left to face the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took forever to upload. Not because it was long (it's actually one of the shorter ones I've written) but due to all the damn problems I went through trying to get the tables and blockquotes to look even somewhat decent on my end. It looks so much better in LibreOffice since it looks like a grid. If this chapter looks absolutely broken on yours, though, let me know and I'll make some edits.


	5. Amber, Rachel

4:12 PM. Max took a deep breath and let it out. Finally, the day was over.

Lunch had been uneventful though that was mainly thanks to Max herself. She had intended to get a decent meal but the presence of other students, despite being fairly small in number, made her extremely self-conscious to the point that she wound up only grabbing a sandwich, an apple, and a carton of milk before scurrying away.

She wound up eating a majority of her meal outside of Miss Carter’s office, waiting for the guidance counselor to come back from wherever she went (likely, lunch as well). When she returned, Max could only speak to her for a couple of minutes as she had another appointment. Still, she had provided Max an answer to her earlier concern: what to do if too many students refused to help.

“First, I approve of you speaking to your outside friend, Chloe. Having the perspective of a non-student who is still a peer will likely give you even more insight for your studies. Second, if too many students decline to assist, we have other options available, which includes speaking to members of the faculty. But don’t be so quick to dismiss your dormmates. Remember, you haven’t even started yet. No need to expect the worst. And even if they decline, they could change their minds later. We’ll cross that bridge if it becomes necessary.”

Getting approval to speak to Chloe was great news to Max. Even if actually speaking to her would likely cause her to die of embarrassment. Best save her for emergencies, then. But the other nice thing about the meeting was Miss Carter had greatly approved her plan of approach and even liked her chart. "Good thinking!” she had congratulated. “I'm glad you’ve not only been thinking this through but also started working on it immediately. You certainly used your second period absence wisely. I applaud you."

She could feel her face heat at the kind words; it had felt really good to get praise from Miss Carter. Now, though, the butterflies were coming back. It was time. Time to gather her notes, a pen, and march down to Rachel's dorm and talk. About stuff. Domme stuff.

Any minute now.

…Dog she was scared shitless.

Which she knew was stupid. Rachel wouldn't make fun of her. She was a friend. She'd help. She already went out of her way to help Max this morning, even cutting class to do it. That had to be, like, the most positive sign in the world that she had her back.

Max shuffled her feet.

It was still nerve-wracking as hell. She had spent all day feeling anxious, constantly worried that everyone was staring at her, whispering, laughing, mocking. And now, she was going to leave her room and walk the Gauntlet of Judgment that was the girls' dorm to ask Rachel stuff. About things.

She was sweating. Max stood and took off her hoodie. 10 seconds later, she put it right back on. Nope, the security blanket was staying on.

Maybe she could text Rachel and ask her to come here? That'd be easier, right? Max shook her head. No, as chicken shit as she was, that was just way too chicken shit. If she couldn't even leave her room to speak to one of her best friends, how bad was it going to be to speak to everyone else? No, she had to do this. Preferably now. Right now.

Max cleared her throat.

16 minutes later, Max was standing outside Rachel's door. Somehow, she made it down the hall. She didn't think anyone paid her any mind but the longer she dallied here, the more likely that would happen. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pant legs and, hesitantly, knocked.

A couple of seconds later, the door opened, revealing Rachel in all her Rachel-ness. Her eyes lit up in delight. "Max! Come in!" Not waiting for Max to actually move her feet, Rachel reached forward, took hold of Max's hand, and pulled her in. In one fluid motion, she bumped the door closed, turned Max around, and gave her a hug.

It felt nice.

"So glad to see you again." She let go and led Max inside, taking a seat on her bed while Max took the couch. "Totally digging the new accessory."

"The-- oh, right." Max reached up and felt the collar around her neck. She had already gotten so used to it she had completely forgotten she was wearing it.

"It looks good. Understated but cute. Very you." Rachel grinned. "Maybe after all is said and done, Chloe, you, and I can go shopping and find you a new one."

Max blushed as she recalled what Miss Carter said about collars and what it might mean if a Domme puts one on a sub. She was sure Rachel didn't mean it in that way, though. "Thanks."

"I take it it's part of what happened today," Rachel deduced. "How'd it go with Miss Carter? Before and after Kate and I got there, I mean."

"Really good, actually. I was kind of surprised." At Rachel's questioning look, Max continued. "Um, I kinda thought I was going to be arrested and expelled for what happened but that didn't happen. Miss Carter was super nice and helpful."

"So, what did she say?" Rachel blinked. "Only if you're allowed to talk about it, though. Let me know if it's not any of my business."

"No, it's okay. I do want to talk, actually. That's kinda the reason I came to you." Max cleared her throat and organized her thoughts. "Miss Carter explained that I've been repressing myself? And what I did this morning was a really weird call for help. But not one I consciously made."

Rachel nodded slowly. "Kate told me you showed up to class practically naked and didn't even realize it."

"…yeah." Max’s shoulders slumped as she looked down. Just a few hours ago, she had committed the single most embarrassing thing she'd ever done in her entire life. It still hurt to think about.

A moment later, Rachel was sliding next to her on the couch, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "Sorry you had to go through that." Max merely nodded against her side. Rachel gave Max's shoulder a comforting rub. "Just to let you know, I've been keeping my ear open, listening to the rumor mill, to make sure no one had caught you on camera. So far, nothing."

Max sniffed. "Really?" That was honestly her biggest ongoing fear.

"Really. I never ran into anyone who flat-out admitted they saw you in person, though that's probably because they were afraid I'd kick their ass if they did." Max snorted and Rachel grinned. "But the way I hear it, anyone who did was too flabbergasted to do anything else but stare. I told Justin and Trevor to keep their eyes peeled around the boys' dorm, just in case. And if they did find anything, if they paid too much attention to it, I'd call Chloe to help me tear out their eyes and force-feed them to the both of them."

Whoa. Max sat up and gave her a stunned look. "Um, thanks? That's a bit… violent? I thought they were your friends."

Rachel shrugged. "Oh, they are, but they can be idiot boys, too, just like the rest of them. I just wanted to remind them, in a way they'd really understand, that you're my friend and I'm watching out for you. So don't screw up."

That was… really comforting and oddly pleasant to think about. Maybe she should've been more concerned about the violent imagery but Rachel's protectiveness was a cool balm on her wounded spirit.

Rachel sat back on the couch. "So, Miss Carter explained why it happened. What else did she say?"

"Um. That I'm a sub but I don't have a, uh, a specialty? Focus? She gave me a test that came out inconclusive. Does that make sense?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah. I'm a bit of the same way; I'm not any specific type of Domme. I just know what I'm not, rather than what kind I am."

"Okay. Well, she had an idea on how to help. And in her office, she gave me this." Max reached into her messenger bag and withdrew a folder. Opening it, she gave Rachel the write up of her D/S study plan.

Rachel took it and scanned it, eyes going wide as she went. "Wow. I'm impressed. She really went all-out for you here. I'm almost jealous." When she saw Max fidget, she gave her a gentle pat on the knee. "I'm kidding. What I mean is, there aren't many faculty members here, or anywhere, who'd go this far out of their way for a student. That Miss Carter did means a lot."

Max wasn’t sure what to say to that so she remained silent. It didn't seem to bother Rachel as she continued to read, flipping to the next page.

"Ah, I see now. She wants to get you as much exposure to as many Dommes and subs as possible here where it's pretty safe." She brought a finger to her lips, tapping them in thought, not noticing when Max followed the movement closely. "That makes a lot of sense. Oh!" She turned to face Max fully. "Am I one of the Dommes you wish to speak with, then?"

She couldn't help it; Max blushed at the attention. "Y-yeah. Um." She reached into her folder and withdrew her chart. "I have a list of everyone here and I figured maybe it'd be easier to start in alphabetical order? And maybe that starting with my best friend would make things easier? If you don't mind. I-I mean, you don't have to say yes. If you don't want to. Um." She fidgeted under Rachel's stare. She didn't look away, though, which is why she was able to catch Rachel's expression melt from her normal smile/grin to something else. Something far warmer and more gentle. Her eyes changed, too, filling with affection, maybe? Whatever it was, it was making her heart beat faster.

Rachel reached forward with her hand, gently tucking a strand of Max's hair behind her ear. She stroked Max's cheek with her thumb once, twice. When she spoke, her voice was soft and kind.

"I'd be honored to help you, Max."

Max felt her breath hitch. Dog, could she be any more perfect?

Rachel rose from the couch and clapped her hands. "Okay, so, Domme 101. The first thing you need to realize is all that stuff you see online about 'the twelve Doms and what they're like' or 'here's a list of all sub-types'? It's all crap. Seriously. You can take some notes, use the terminology as a general guide but is are no strict list of different Dommes or subs." Rachel paused as she waited for Max to finish pulling out a notebook from her bag and start taking notes. "Also, there's no real written-in-stone definition of what makes a Domme or a sub. All of it is subjective. Only I can decide what kind of Domme I am. Only you can decide what kind of sub you are."

Max looked up after finishing writing another note. "Then why have classes?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Because no one starts off completely knowledgeable on D/S dynamics. You may be the only one to decide what you are but you need a foundation to start with. Like, say you want to be a doctor. No one else can tell you what kind of doctor you want to be but you still need to attend medical school to learn the basics before getting to the specialty courses."

Max nodded and made a couple more notes.

"Also, using the doctor thing as an example, say when you start, you know for absolute certain you want to be an endocrinologist. But partway through your studies, you change your mind and decide you want to be a neurologist instead. Again, your choice. No one else decided that for you; something just happened down the line that made you think, 'Hmm. I think I like brains more than metabolism.' Same thing when it comes to studying D/S stuff. Nothing's set in stone."

Again, Max nodded. "That makes a lot of sense." She made another note, then paused. "Earlier, you said that you don't know what you are but you know what you're not?"

"Right." Rachel paused, considering something, then sat down on the edge of her bed, taking a moment to slowly cross one leg over the other. She carefully folded her hands on her knee and straightened her posture. She started tapping her knee with a single index finger, once every other second. Tap. Tap. Tap. Her expression slowly turned cool, her eyes narrowed.

Max swallowed. She had no idea what was happening but Rachel's entire demeanor had changed and was starting to make her nervous. She fought the urge to shrink into the couch.

"This," Rachel stated, her voice carefully modulated, "is, without a doubt, utterly ridiculous. And totally not me." And with a toss of her long, blonde hair, stern was replaced with vibrant. She uncrossed her legs and leaned back on her arms, giving Max a grin.

Max let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Jeez, Rachel, that was kinda scary. And yeah, that was totally not you." She cleared her throat. "I like normal Rachel a lot better." Her face flushed at the admission.

Rachel's grin widened. "Aww, thanks, Max! I like normal Rachel a lot better, too." She leaned forward. "But I like normal Max a whole lot more," she said with a wink.

Max looked away, a small smile on her face.

Deciding to spare spare Max from any further flirtations, Rachel continued. "The whole strictness thing just isn't me. I'm all about personal choice and freedom, expressing one's self, living in the moment. That's one of the things I like about your assignment: it emphasizes consent so much. That's really important for me. I don't even like playing around with coerced consent or non-con. I don't judge those that do but it's definitely not my thing."

"Non-con?"

"Non-consensual. Forced sex, rape-play, stuff like that."

"Oh. But--"

Rachel waited but it didn't appear that Max was going to continue. "'But…?'" she asked in a teasing voice. Unsurprisingly, Max turned even redder than before. She didn’t like the nervousness Max was now displaying, though.

“Hey, it’s okay. You know you can ask me anything, right? Plus, I don’t think you can finish your study if you don’t ask questions.” She thought about what could possibly be making Max nervous and took a stab in the dark. “I doubt you’ll ever find a subject I won’t be willing to talk about but even if you do, we can decide to skip it. Consent, right? Trust me, I won’t be offended.”

It took a bit but eventually, Max summed up enough courage to finish her question, even if she still couldn’t look Rachel in the eye. “I’ve seen Chloe wear a collar.” She swallowed. “A slave collar. Doesn’t that mean, um, forced? And non-con?”

Silence met her question. When she dared to look up, Max saw Rachel staring at her, dumbfounded. She looked away. “S-sorry.”

“Wha- no!” It was Rachel’s turn to clear her throat. “No,” she repeated, a bit softer. “Don’t apologize. I just said I wouldn’t be offended and I’m not. You just caught me off-guard. And no, a slave collar doesn’t automatically mean forced. But,” she quickly added before Max could apologize again, “I see why you might think so. As an outsider looking in, I mean.

“Chloe’s not a Slave,” Rachel explained. “Not even close. She’s not even a sub. Not really. She’s a switch. Meaning, she’s sometimes a Domme and sometimes a sub.” Rachel gave a small shrug. “There’s a bit more to it than that but that’s the easiest way to explain it.

“I’m a Domme, sure, but I’m not an Owner. The thought of me being one clashes with my desire for personal freedom and literally turns my stomach. But sometimes, when Chloe’s feeling submissive, she wants to be ordered around, told what to do. When that happens, she likes to wear a slave collar. It makes her feel sexy.” Rachel suddenly grinned. “She looks sexy wearing it, too, so no complaints from me.”

Now Max was thinking of Chloe wearing a slave collar. And nothing else. She shifted in her seat, though not from discomfort. Or, not the same kind of discomfort as before. Was it getting a bit warm in here? She toyed with the hem of her hoodie, wondering if she should take it off. “But you said you don’t like strictness?”

“You can give orders and not be strict. Like, I can say, ‘Get me a Coke,’ or ‘Be a dear and fetch me a Coke, would you?’ Or, better example: ‘Take off your clothes’ versus ‘How about giving me a strip tease?’”

Dog, this conversation wasn’t helping her core temperature at all. She couldn’t stop herself from asking more questions, though. “So, a slave collar isn’t permanent? It can be just for fun?”

“Exactly! Remember, it’s all about consent. Sometimes, Chloe’s feeling submissive but doesn’t want the collar. And that’s perfectly fine. We’ve talked about our mutual interests and turn-ons as well as turn-offs before. We know where the hard lines are drawn. The soft lines? Those are negotiable. And I’m not talking about a scene, precisely. More like, ‘maybe I want to try those handcuffs today after all.’”

Oooookay. Max wasn’t certain what a “scene” was but was afraid if she continued asking questions, she wasn’t going to make it to the end of the interview before she passed out from overheating. She wondered what their turn-ons and turn-offs were. She wondered if she was going to need a shower. “Um.” Then, she remembered she needed to be writing this stuff down. “Crap.”

“Take your time, Max. No rush.” Rachel played around on her phone while Max scribbled away. She was going to meet Chloe for dinner tonight but still had plenty of time. Part of her wanted to invite Max; shy or not, she was just so much damn fun to be around. But all this D/S talk was giving her ideas and subsequently turning her on a bit so she was going to need some one-on-one time with her girlfriend.

She suddenly had a wicked idea and had to squelch the grin on her face. Rachel sent out a quick text to Chloe, asking a favor. Okay, it wasn’t really asking but like she told Max, there were plenty of ways to give an order without being a bitch. And she as a master at phrasing a request in such a way that there as no way to say “No.”

Max, in the meantime, continued to write, jotting down things that Rachel said, underlining things to look up later, circling a couple of things and drawing an arrow to remind herself to shift that thing to another part of the paper. She wondered how to write everything up. There didn't seem to be enough to write a full-blown essay but then again, maybe this didn't need to be in essay format? Miss Carter did say something about avoiding dry lectures so writing a dry essay wouldn't work, right?

A soft chime interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see Rachel fiddling with her phone, a wide grin on her face. She knew that look: that was the patented Playful-Rachel look. That meant that no matter what was going to happen next, it was either going to be incredibly good, awesomely bad, some combination of both, but definitely amusing. For Rachel, anyway. Max smiled. "So, anything I need to be worried about?"

"Nope!" She put her phone away. "Absolutely nothing. Any other questions? I still have time."

Max gave Rachel a look that she hoped said “there's no way on Earth I believe that.” She was looking entirely too pleased with herself, after all. Still, Max brought her attention back to the task at hand. "I can't think of anything right now but I probably will later."

"Anytime I'm here, come ask me anything. I always have time for you. Oh, hey," Rachel remembered something. "Who else is on your list?"

"Oh, I didn't show you that." Max opened her folder and pulled out her chart. "I wrote everything down." She handed it to Rachel, who looked through it. "I need to speak to or interview 75% of the girls' dorm, to get as wide a range of information as possible. So nine people, minimum."

Rachel glanced up, another grin on her face. "I see Chloe's name is here."

"Um, yeah." Cue some embarrassed squirming. "I got permission to speak to her if too many girls said 'no' to the interviewing. Like Victoria and the other Vortex people."

"She already refused?"

"Not yet, but she will. Miss Carter said it’s too early to expect the worst but, well, it’s them. But she also said that if I can't get to 75%, I can make things up by talking to faculty."

Rachel handed the chart back. "I think it'd be a good idea to talk to Chloe anyway. She's a switch and will have very different answers to your questions than people like me who are strictly one or the other. I don't think anyone else here is one so it'd be really good for the study and just personal knowledge."

Max shrugged and looked away. "I'll think about it."

Which meant "never." Rachel was going to have to work harder to convince Max. She grinned to herself. And she now had the perfect thing to prod her with.

Oblivious to Rachel's machinations, Max took the chart back. She updated Rachel's info, marking Y and Domme. She noticed the blank box under LGBT. "Oh, um, I almost forgot to ask."

"Yeah?"

Max pointed to the chart. "Are you-- Um, would… What's your sexual orientation?" she finally forced out.

Rachel leaned back on her hands and faced the ceiling, exposing the length of her neck to Max in the process. "I haven't really nailed myself down to any identity but mark me down as bi."

Max tore her eyes away and wrote that on the chart. "So you like guys and girls?"

"And others, like non-binary, but bi's easier to explain. Remind me later and I'll tell you all about the sexuality spectrum."

"Sounds… fun?"

Rachel smiled. "Trust me, it will be."

Max nodded and gathered up all her papers, putting them into her folder. She and Rachel rose at the same time, and left the room together.

Rachel noticed Max's curious look. "I'm gonna meet up with Chloe for dinner. Want to join us?" No matter her earlier thoughts on the matter, she just couldn't exclude Max. It just wouldn't feel right.

Max shook her head. "Sorry, but I need to get started on this. And I want to meet with Kate and get her notes on what I missed in English and Photography."

"No sorries and no worries. There'll always be a next time."

"Okay." Max smiled. "Thanks Rachel. For everything. This morning and talking to me now. I appreciate it."

Rachel gave Max a quick hug. "Like I said, anytime." She stepped back and gave Max a little wave. "Talk to you later!"

"You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take any of the information in this and any future chapter with a grain of salt. This work isn't meant to be any kind of non-fiction instruction as to real-world D/S dynamics, BDSM, or anything of the sort. If I were to try that for real, not only would the story be prohibitively lengthy but I'd inevitably screw something up. All the info provided is being presented through the filter of the character giving it. Rachel's advice and knowledge will differ from Chloe's, which will differ from Kate's, etc. It'll be my job to ensure each character's voice is different enough that the advice they offer is still believable, even if it doesn't conform to the reader's expectations.
> 
> 13 different girls on the list. 9 are needed to finish the assignment. Let's see how this goes.
> 
> *Edit: 11/23/2018 - Deleted a couple of sentences near the end of the chapter to rectify a continuity error: originally, it was implied that Rachel shared Photography with Max but later chapters ignored this detail. Since it would be better for the story for them not to share any classes, I removed the reference.


	6. A Picture is Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather short chapter this time. Some naughtiness to be found.

Max entered her dorm and closed the door behind her. She let out a happy sigh. The interview with Rachel went really well. She got a lot of good information, got to start the whole D/S study thing, and actually asked real questions without dying of embarrassment. To her, that was a major win.

She shrugged off her messenger bag and withdrew her notebooks. She began arranging them into piles on her bed in order of her classes: AP English, Photography, Media Lit, and Chemistry. The first two she put back into her bag so she could copy Kate's notes, if any. The others were set aside for the moment. While it might've been a good idea to work on the homework while things were fresh, she still had to finish up the stuff due tomorrow as well.

Max pulled out the D/S folder and the accompanying notebook. No reason to keep those on hand as she wasn't planning on interviewing more than one person per day. If her conversation with Rachel was any indication, she'd be getting so much info and so many mental images, she'd likely not survive if she tried. Her phone buzzed indicating an incoming message. She pulled out her phone with one hand, unlocking it, while reaching towards her desk with the other to put the folder there.

When the picture message came through, the folder dropped to the floor, forgotten.

Right there on her screen was Chloe. Lying on her bed, bright blue hair free from her patented beanie and splayed across her pillow. Eyes bright, lips curled in a confident grin. Slave collar on. She had the index finger of her right hand hooked in collar's ring and was tugging it down. Her tank top was askew, revealing a flat stomach and a teasing amount of breast. Overall, the picture oozed playful sex.

Max swallowed heavily. Rachel was right: Chloe was damn sexy wearing that collar.

Before she was entirely aware of it, Max had dropped down on her couch, her gaze still locked onto her phone. Slowly, her free hand began tugging at the waistband of her borrowed jeans, working the button loose, undoing the zipper. She shifted her hips, pulling the offending garment down just enough to give herself room.

She gasped softly as her fingers made contact with her own wetness. Dog, she was so turned on right now. She leaned back, one hand holding her phone aloft, the fingers of the other getting quite busy. Her breathing came in short, soundless moans. She imagined Chloe nude, doing the same thing for Rachel. She remembered her dream. She imagined herself kneeling before Rachel and Chloe, being ordered to touch herself, them taking turns touching her. She imagined herself wearing a slave collar and being taken. Her hips bucked, her legs trembled, and in an embarrassingly short amount of time, she came.

Max clenched her thighs together around her fingers, riding the wave of pleasure, holding her breath until she couldn't stand it, gasping for air afterwards. She dropped her phone to the side and brought her now-free hand to her face, covering her mouth, panting through her fingers. She stared wide-eyed at nothing, tiny motes of light floating in her peripheral vision. That… That was…

Holy _fuck_.

She hadn't felt that good in a long time. If ever. What that how it was supposed to be? Max took a deep breath, then another, trying to slow her breathing. Slowly, she slid from the edge of the couch to the floor. She remained there, blissfully unaware of anything except her slowing pulse.

After a couple of minutes, Max finally recovered enough to shift and brace her clean hand on the edge of the couch. She stood and started to tug her jeans back up when several things suddenly became apparent:

  * She wasn't wearing any panties. And she hadn't ever since Rachel brought her these clothes.
  * She had gone commando the entire day.
  * She had just masturbated wearing Rachel's clothes.
  * She had just wiped her hand on Rachel's jeans.
  * She had ruined Rachel's clothes.
  * She was never going to live this down.



Her face flushed bright red. She stumbled as she tore the jeans down her legs, nearly falling over as the got tangled up on her Chucks. Stupid stupid stupid! You dumbass! How could you-- She quickly dropped to the couch and tore off both her sneakers and Rachel's jeans, throwing everything to the other side of the room, mentally berating herself.

She was gonna have to get those washed. Separately from her other clothes. Twice. Maybe dry cleaned. And even then they won't be clean enough. Rachel will want them burned. She'll never forgive this. Max swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Maybe she could make it up to her, buy her new clothes, something. She might have enough money.

She was such a fucking idiot.

Max rose and went to her dresser, pulling out a pair panties and her own pants, yanking both on, the self-recriminations coming non-stop. She forced her Chucks back on her feet and grabbed the discarded jeans, then stopped. Shaking her head, she removed her hoodie and then took off Rachel's shirt to wash it as well. That's when she noticed for the first time that she had failed to put on a bra earlier, too. She stood there dumbfounded, realizing that, once again, she had walked around campus giving everyone a free show. She squeezed her eyes shut to block the tears that sprung up as she clenched her fists in frustration. So stupid to go running around campus naked and now, too stupid to actually dress herself? What the fuck was wrong with her!? She was so damn stupid, so fucking idiotic, worthless, incompetent, dog why'd she even bother, why even bother, why why whywhywhy--

Clothes forgotten, everything forgotten, Max sank to her knees in the middle of her room, brought her hands to her face, and cried.


	7. Wednesday

The soft buzzing from her phone woke Max from a fitful sleep. Reaching over, she turned it off and sat up. Part of her, a large part, wanted to just curl back into her bed and sleep for the next 12 hours but she had to get up and finish her Algebra assignment due today. She wasn't able to finish everything last night due to…

Max sighed and left the bed. Her breakdown last night screwed everything up. By the time she had recovered, it was too late to ask Kate for her notes, get dinner, or run a load of laundry downstairs in the coin-op machines. All she could do was work on her homework as best she could but concentration eluded her. She wound up skipping math since it wasn't her strong suit and she figured she'd try again after getting some sleep.

Of course, that only worked if she actually got sleep. Her brain kept her awake for way too long and even when exhaustion finally hit, she kept waking at random times throughout the night. Needless to say, she felt like crap. But as bad as she felt, she had to get moving now.

About an hour later, she was closing her text book, having finished her math homework. Taking a look at her phone, she was glad to see she still had time to get to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast. Dog, she was starved. Mental note: hit up the store today and restock on snacks.

She stood from her desk, purposely ignoring all her school stuff in favor of getting dressed. She was spared a rushed shower this morning as she had already scrubbed herself clean the night before (she had felt completely dirty and couldn't stand it). She deliberately took her time dressing, emphasizing each and every step of the process to ensure that she put in everything: fresh panties, bra, socks, jeans, deodorant, t-shirt, collar, hoodie. When she was done, she patted herself down, making absolute certain she hadn't just dreamt putting on clothes. She even took a selfie, using her mirror to take a full body shot instead of just her face. One short application of eye liner and eye shadow and she was satisfied.

Max packed her notebooks and the day's assignments in her messenger bag, also storing her camera there. Hefting it to her shoulder, she went to grab her phone on her desk and paused. There was the D/S study folder and notebook. She still hadn't typed up her report and it was due sometime today. Max bit her lip. She really, really didn't want to think about it last night so had ignored it completely. Now, though, it was getting close first period; there wasn't enough time left to write it now and get breakfast, as well. She'd have to skip lunch and write it then. She sighed. At least her report could be e-mailed.

Grabbing her phone, Max made her way out of her room and started towards the main building. She flipped through all her messages from last night, cringing slightly at the messages from Rachel. She had asked Max how much she liked the photo and if she wanted more. Max could FEEL the suggestive lilt in the words. She couldn't answer Rachel honestly, of course. That would just make Rachel feel bad and she didn't deserve that. This was Max's problem; no one else needed to deal with it.

She had wound up just texting that it was a good photo but one was plenty for her. Rachel then reiterated that Max should definitely talk to Chloe about D/S stuff which she replied she'd think about it, she really had to get started on her homework as it was getting late, and she was sorry. Rachel seemed to accept that and just wished her good luck along with a lot of kissy emojis.

Chloe would've hated it.

Speaking of her favorite blue-haired punk, Max had been really tempted to delete the photo entirely, to resist temptation later. She was too weak to actually go through it, though. It was Chloe. She could never delete anything about her. Instead, she protected the message so it couldn't be accidentally trashed later and promised herself she'd never look at it again.

Making it to the cafeteria, Max got in line to get some breakfast. She was pretty hungry but there wasn't a whole lot of time left before she had to head to first period. She opted to grab some toast and eggs, and some orange juice to drink. Finding an empty table (she wasn't really feeling up to company), she sat and was about to start eating when someone began blasting a rather obnoxious piece of music from another table. Max was annoyed for a split second until the actual lyrics caught up to her:

> **_I wanna see your pussy show it to me!_**  
>  **_Let me see your pussy show it to me!_**  
>  **_Show me your pussy show it to me!_**  
>  **_I wanna pet your pussy show it to me!_**  
> 

Raucous laughter exploded from that table as Max turned bright red. The music started to repeat as she grabbed her messenger bag and rushed out of the cafeteria, tears of humiliation blinding her vision. She bumped into several people in the hall, desperate to get out, to run, to just get away, before she lost it in front of the whole damn school. She didn't hear her name being called, didn't hear the concern in their voice, didn't hear the sounds of someone rushing after her. She stumbled, tripped, and would've fallen completely if someone hadn't caught her, wrapping their arms around her, holding her steady.

"Shh, Max. I got you. You're safe. I got you."

And in the middle of the front lawn of Blackwell, to the sounds of the first period bell going off, Max curled into Dana's arms and wept.

 

* * *

 

Inside Blackwell, right at the entrance to the cafeteria, Miss Carter was rapidly going from stunned to furious. She had been walking past the entrance when Max tore past her, obviously distraught. She caught the sound of laughter from the room and part of the music playing, which quickly told her everything she needed to know. She noticed that another student, Dana Ward, had gone after Max, which meant she could focus dispensing some much-needed discipline.

She turned and marched into the cafeteria, making a bee-line to the guilty party. Her face must have looked as pissed as she felt as several students scrambled out of the way. One person at the table tried to leave as well until she jabbed a finger at him. "Stay."

It was a direct command from a Domme to a sub. He stayed.

Miss Carter stood in front of the group of four boys, towering over them not due to stature but sheer authority. She glared at each of them. "So, who's idea was it?" She didn't clarify what "it" was; there was no need. It was little surprise that three sets of eyes pointed to one person. She looked down at Nathan, the only one still seated, who was desperately trying to look uncaring about the whole situation, though the bead of sweat on his temple was a giveaway. She continued say nothing, allowing the tension to build.

Finally, Nathan jerked his shoulder back. "It was a joke," he grumbled with forced nonchalance. "No big deal."

"Congratulations, Mr. Prescott: I'm making it a 'big deal.'"

"Oh yeah?" He finally looked up at Miss Carter from his seated position, some of his typical cockiness rising to the surface. "Well, I can't see what you can do about it. I didn't do anything wrong. No crime in playing music." He flinched when Miss Carter stepped forward.

"And that's where you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Prescott. As head disciplinarian of Blackwell Academy, I get to decide what is and isn't wrong. And there is plenty that I can do about it. Now, stand up."

Nathan scoffed. "You can't touch me. I-- OW! FUCKING SH-- OW!!"

Miss Carter narrowed her eyes at Nathan, keeping a firm grip on his left ear. "Wrong again, Mr. Prescott. I've given you a direct order, as a faculty member of Blackwell Academy, as head disciplinarian of this training facility, and as a Domme. You failed to abide, both as a student and as a sub. In full accordance to my position here, to Blackwell's charter, and under the rules and regulations that both you and your family agreed with when you first enrolled and reaffirmed at the beginning of every semester since, I am now well within my rights to issue whatever punishment I deem fit. Any further failure on your part will only increase the severity and duration of the punishment. Try me, Mr. Prescott," she hissed. "Push your luck and I will gladly demonstrate the full extent of what I can and cannot inflict."

The only reply she received was a soft whimper. Miss Carter nodded to herself, satisfied that he finally got the message. She looked up to see the other three standing at rigid attention. Good. "Perhaps there's still hope for you three yet. Now, follow me. And don't lag behind. I would hate to have to send for you later."

And with that, she began marching to her office, Nathan stumbling after her, his ear still firmly in her grasp. The other three students dutifully fell in step and followed.

 

* * *

 

Max wasn't sure how long she stood there crying but it suddenly occurred to her how incredibly awkward this must've looked. She stepped back, wiping her nose with the sleeves of her hoodie. "S-sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't I-- I mean, I…"

Dana let Max go but remained close. "Hey, don't be sorry. You have nothing to apologize about. Things just suddenly overflow and you can't help it. You're allowed to cry."

Max shook her head. "I shouldn't… shouldn't bother you w-with this." She hiccuped. "I-- I've bothered enough… I don't want to-- to be a bother…"

"Max, it's fine. I'm serious." Dana frowned. She wasn't liking what she was hearing right now. "I'm glad I was here to help. You aren't bothering me at all. I wouldn't be out here now if I didn't care. You know that, right?"

"…y-yeah." Max sniffled. "S-sorry," she whispered.

Dana didn't try telling her not to apologize again. She had a bad feeling it wouldn't take. Instead, she fished around her purse and grabbed a couple of tissues. "Here."

"Thanks." Max took the offered tissues and blew her nose. She wiped at her face, grimacing at the makeup that smeared on the tissues.

Dana noticed and put a hand on Max's shoulder. "Hey, let's hit up the restroom real quick, get you cleaned up."

Max nodded and followed dutifully behind the redhead. They quickly made their way to the first floor girl's bathroom which was devoid of students. She went to the middle sink and began to wash up.

Dana waited until Max was finished scrubbing and had turned off the water. "Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice was quiet, careful. Max had calmed down considerably but she wasn't taking any chances. She handed Max a couple of paper towels. "If you're not ready to, that's okay, too. I know what it's like to need some me time after a breakdown."

At that, Max paused in drying her face. She slowly lowered her hands and cleared her throat. "Are you okay?"

Dana blinked, surprised she let that slip, then smiled. "Only you could completely fall to pieces but the moment you hear someone else might be troubled, you immediately step up to help. Maybe that's why I like you so much."

Max blushed slightly. "Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome." Dana leaned against one of the other sinks and looked at Max expectantly, who shook her head.

"Not right now. Not that I don't want to tell you!" she hastily added. "It's just… I, uh, kinda want to wait until we're not in a bathroom?" She looked down and away, knowing she was sounding lame.

"I totally get that, no worries." Dana perked up. "I got an idea: maybe you and I could get together this evening and swap war stories about garbage in our lives. Unload for a bit."

Max slowly smiled. "I'd like that." She blinked. "Oh, and I meant to talk to you later, anyway. So yeah, hanging out sounds good."

"About what?"

"It relates to what happened yesterday?" She shuffled again. "Is it okay if I explain later? It's a bit personal and weird."

"Oh, sure! But yeah, maybe now that you're feeling a bit better, we should both head to class. Those long-dead European rulers aren't going to learn about themselves, y'know."

Max snorted out a laugh. She took a half step forward and made a move to hug Dana but stopped, suddenly unsure if she should. Dana responded by closing the distance and giving her a brief but warm hug.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more angst for our troubled heroine but hopefully, it's not too much.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with the story for this long. I appreciate all the comments, kudos, hits, and bookmarks this tale has received thus far. I'm currently working on chapter 13. 12 took quite a while to get right but I think I finally found a good balance between the various cast appearances, some exposition, and humor.


	8. Report

It wasn’t always easy being head disciplinarian at Blackwell Academy. The biggest problem was, if everything was going well at the school, her services weren’t truly needed. If students behaved, if the teachers fulfilled their duties, there was no need for her to step up as a Domme. It was different than being the guidance counselor and therapist. Those roles were always required, especially in this age group.

Another issue was constant “backseat Domming,” as she liked to call it, by parents who, despite knowing that Blackwell was a training facility for both Doms and subs alike, didn’t seem to ever comprehend what those roles actually meant. Miss Carter was regularly inundated with requests by soft parents to go easy on their child, not understanding the need for a firm hand. She received a nearly equal number of demands from harsh parents to stop coddling their child, unable to fathom that there was more than one type of Dom and militant oppressor wasn’t one of them.

She glanced over at Nathan kneeling in the middle of the room. Yeah, she was getting a lot of experience with the latter.

It had taken 37 minutes for Nathan to finally stop seething. Much longer than she would have liked but fortunately, much shorter than when she first started helping him when he was just a freshman. She knew he was ready to talk when he straightened his posture to assume the proper kneeling position of a sub. His head stayed bowed and his arms had remained behind his back the entire time, a definite point in his favor. It was also apparent he was utilizing his breathing exercises.

Miss Carter rose from her behind her desk and made her way to the couch. She sat, crossing one leg over the other, and sighed. “Nathan. You’re regressing.”

Nathan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes, Mistress.”

“Ahem.”

“Sorry, I meant Miss Carter.”

“Better.”

Silence.

Nathan licked his lips. “I apologize, Miss Carter.”

“It’s not me who you should apologize to, Nathan. You know that.”

A slow nod. “Yes, Miss Carter.”

A beat.

“I’ll apologize the next time I see Max, Miss Carter.”

“And?”

Nathan blinked. “'And,' Miss Carter?”

Miss Carter bit back another sigh. “Nathan, look at me.”

He did so.

“Understand that when I say this, I truly mean it for the best: you need to find a Daddy. If there isn’t one here in Arcadia Bay, you’ll need to venture further out to find him. It doesn’t have to be permanent. There are plenty of D/S facilities for short- and long-term use, no commitment necessary. Do the research. Find a Dom you can trust to fulfill your needs. Otherwise, the only future I see for you is filled with self-hate and loathing, consuming you until it detonates and harms you and everyone around you.” She paused, her next words weighted. “I don’t want to read about you in next year’s obituaries.”

Nathan let out a shuddering breath. She was right. He knew it. But. “My father would never approve.”

“Your father,” Miss Carter stated flatly, “has no say in this matter. I understand you are wary about standing up to him but remember, you are over the age of majority. He cannot legally prevent you from seeking a Dom or his services whenever you wish.”

“’Wary’ doesn’t come close,” Nathan replied, shaking his head slowly.

“Scared shitless, then. Terrified. All this is true.” Miss Carter leaned forward. “But. You have been learning. Growing. You are realizing that you are more than your past, more than your heritage, and certainly more than your father's wishes. You are Nathan Prescott. You are your own person. And you know there is no shame in being a sub.”

“Yes, Miss Carter.” Nathan nodded his head slowly, then more forcibly. “Yeah. I get that. Really. But sometimes, I slip up. And I forget.”

“What was it about Max Caulfield that made you forget?”

“The way she acts,” he answered immediately. Nathan was ready for this question as he had given the matter a lot of thought over the past half hour. “It’s like her outside is my inside and I hate that. I hate feeling weak. I try to stomp it out, been trying to get rid of it, and there she is, stumbling, mumbling, scared, and it just makes me so pissed that she’s so upfront about it.”

“She’s openly honest about what she is while you feel you still have to hide,” Miss Carter summarized.

Nathan took another calming breath and nodded.

Both fell silent again, considering their next words.

Miss Carter spoke first. “I truly wish you would speak to Max. I think it would likely do you both a world of good. However,” she raised her hand to stop the inevitable protest, “I do understand your reasons for not doing so. At this point, so soon after what happened, I have doubts that even she would hear you out.”

“Yeah. I royally screwed that up.”

“And hence the reason you’re getting punished.”

Nathan looked confused. “Miss Carter?”

“Come, Mr. Prescott, you didn’t really think that skipping first period was going to be the limit of your punishment?” Miss Carter rose and beckoned Nathan to stand as well.

“But, I thought, with the kneeling and everything else…?”

“The kneeling was discipline, until you could collect yourself and we could talk. The conversation was therapy, my role in aiding you as a student and a sub. This,” Miss Carter opened her closet door and withdrew what appeared to be a couple of planks of wood, “is your punishment for acting out and disobeying.”

Nathan recognized the item instantly and it brought him no fond memories. “Aw, shit. Really?”

“Yes. And be grateful that I am not going to punish you further for foul language. Now.” She lifted the placard and handed it to Nathan. “Put this on.”

Nathan grumbled to himself but did as he was told. Opening the placard, he draped it over his shoulders, the white, flat boards now adorning his front and back. It was essentially an abbreviated sandwich board, not reaching past his waist, but instead of menu items, it read “I’M A BRAT, NOT A DOM” on both sides. He adjusted the straps on his shoulders, then stood at attention.

Miss Carter pointed to the wall clock. “Mark the time. You will wear this placard for the next 24 hours except when you need to sleep or use the facilities. You will continue on with your day as normal. If you attempt to remove it for any length of time, I will know, and your punishment will only get worse.”

“Yes, Miss Carter,” he sighed. He knew she was right. It was like she had eyes everywhere. He wondered if she paid people to spy for her around campus but it was more likely she was just that intuitive.

“Is there anything you’d like to say before I send you on your way?”

“Only that I feel ridiculous. I haven’t worn this for almost a year. I figured you’d thrown it out by now.”

“Never throw away a useful piece of equipment. But keep in mind what you just said: you haven’t worn this for almost a year. That also means you haven’t had to wear it for almost a year. Think about what that means.” She motioned towards the door. “You are dismissed, Mr. Prescott.”

“Yes, Miss Carter.”

 

* * *

 

It was lunch period. Max sat in her room, typing away on her laptop, trying to finish her report to Miss Carter. She had ultimately decided to write the report less like an essay and more like a journal entry. It helped the flow, she thought. And if it wasn’t an acceptable tone, she was sure Miss Carter would let her know so she could either redo it or change things for the next one.

Overall, she was feeling pretty good. Recalling last night’s chat with Rachel, the ease of the conversation, the feeling of hanging out and not being judged, it made her burden feel lighter. Couple that with class, when Dana opted to sit next to her for the rest of their World History lesson just to keep her company, and she was feeling almost optimistic. They hadn't really done anything except listen and study like you’re supposed to but occasionally, Max would quietly groan at something, Dana would nudge her and roll her eyes in agreement, they’d share a mutual grin, then get right back to it. It was nice, so nice she briefly wondered why she didn’t try to do it more often. Then she remembered: she was too dumb and shy to ever initiate things like that. Sure, Dana sat next to her today but that wasn't going to happen again. She was beautiful and popular and in the Vortex Club and had several guys falling over themselves to hang out and date her. Max didn’t need to crimp her style with her plain face and boring clothes and lame self. And if Dana kept sitting next to her, that was bound to happen.

Max sighed. Good feelings never lasted long.

Shaking her head, she reread her report to make sure it sounded right, wasn’t misspelled, and had all the info from her notes.

> Rachel Amber. Domme. She’s the first person I ever spoke with about D/S stuff seriously and I’m so glad it was her and not someone else. Talking to a close friend first really helped with breaking the ice. It’s weird: in just one short meeting, I learned more about Dommes than my previous three years of high school. Maybe I should look into attending an actual sub class next semester while I still have time?
> 
> One really interesting thing is that Rachel said she wasn’t sure what kind of Domme she was, just what she wasn’t. I haven’t ever considered that kind of logic before and that’s coming from someone who watched Mr. Spock say something similar in Star Trek VI: if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. She said she’s all about consent and freedom of expression, living the moment, and having fun. She said she isn’t into non-con play but doesn’t judge those that do.
> 
> I made the mistake of looking up what that could mean online. People really like that kind of stuff? But I guess I shouldn’t judge, either; I have no idea what I like and don’t like, really.
> 
> That scares me a bit. The fact that I can’t even eliminate what I’m not, never mind figure out what I am. What if I turn out liking something really dangerous or bad? What if I discover I’m the kind of sub that wants to be whipped and humiliated and treated like dirt? I’d like to think I don’t but maybe I do secretly and just haven’t figured that out yet. I mean, I did run to class naked and didn’t know it.
> 
> She also talked about Chloe but I won’t put that in here yet, only when after I speak to her. I’ve been on the fence about talking to my other best friend about all this all day but I think I’m going to. Like Miss Carter said, the more people I speak with, the better I’ll understand myself. I’m super nervous about it already but we’ll see how it goes.
> 
> Rachel explained that wearing a slave collar doesn’t mean forced consent and that it can be temporary. That surprised me. I'm not exactly sure why but I had always thought things like that were permanent. Just shows how little I know. She also said there were a lot of ways a Domme could give orders without them sounding like orders. More like suggestions you want to follow. I hope if I ever find a Domme, she’ll be that nice to me. I don’t think I could handle the other kind. But then again, what do I know?

Max saved the document again and printed it off. As her old inkjet printer spat out the page, she copy/pasted the entire doc into her e-mail program and fired it off to Miss Carter. There, report done. She took the freshly printed page and folded it in half, putting it in her journal. She figured since the report was pretty much an entry, there was no need to re-write it all. She could just stuff the page in place and use it as-is.

Taking a look at the time, Max groaned. She had taken too long; no time to eat an actual lunch. But if she hurried, maybe should could grab an apple or something. Then she remembered what happened the last time she set foot in the cafeteria and her appetite vanished, replaced by something closer to nausea. No, best to just skip completely. She’d make it up at dinner. As long as no one else was there, anyway.

She grabbed her messenger bag, her notebooks for her afternoon classes, checked to see if she was, in fact, still wearing clothes, pulled the waistline of her jeans from her stomach to make doubly-sure, then, finally, left for class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first wrote chapters 7 and 8, I was on the fence about including non-Max-centric scenes into the work as a whole. I just wasn't sure if the change of focus would be disruptive. The problem I discovered was the story as a whole never seemed to flow properly without them. So, I left them in and looking back, I'm glad I did. There will be more as the story continues.


	9. Friendly Ribbing

The day’s classes were over and once again Victoria was lounging around one of the numerous picnic tables that were sprinkled around campus. Courtney and Taylor were with her, on their phones, browsing social media, occasionally snickering as they found something amusing. Victoria paid it no mind as she took a long drag of her cigarette.

For once, there wasn’t a whole lot to do except take it easy. The next Vortex meeting wasn’t until tomorrow, the next party wasn’t until next week, and her photography assignment was finished early. As it should be. Letting things lie and procrastinating just wasn’t the Chase way.

She snorted to herself, softly so her friends didn’t hear and ask about it. Not that she minded them asking but there wasn’t anything new to say about such an old issue: how to step out from her parents’ shadow and make a name for herself in the photography world. It also wasn’t something they could actually give decent advice about since they couldn’t relate. The only one here at Blackwell who could was Nathan.

As if on cue, Nathan appeared from around the corner and started making his way to their table. Victoria blinked as she noticed his latest fashion accessory before breaking out in a wide, shit-eating grin. She leaned back, knowing that whatever happened next, it was going to be funny as hell.

Nathan caught her expression and glowered. “Don’t even, V.”

Victoria heard Courtney and Taylor turn and gasp at Nathan but ignored it in favor of some teasing. “Why, whatever do you mean? I’m absolutely certain I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shit.” He grumbled and sat across from Victoria and next to Courtney, who was now looking at Nathan with the same wariness as anyone else might a lit stick of dynamite. “Got a spare one of those?” he asked, motioning to her cigarette. “I’m out.”

“Sure.” Victoria reached into her purse, then paused. “But maybe I shouldn’t. I mean, you didn’t ask permission, did you?” At his glare, she cackled and took out her pack. “Just fucking with you, damn. Here.”

Nathan mumbled to himself more but withdrew a cigarette. He waited for Victoria to light it, then brought it to his lips, taking a puff. “That hits the spot. Thanks, V.”

“Anytime, you know that.” She leaned forward, a smirk still on her face. “So? Are you gonna tell me what you did this time to earn the Sandwich Board of Shame?”

Nathan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took another puff of his cigarette and flicked his eyes to the right.

Victoria got the message and turned. “Court. T. Nathan and I need some me time. Meet me back at my room in an hour.”

“Okay.”

“Sure thing, Victoria.”

That was a nice thing about Courtney and Taylor: both were subs and had been her friends long enough to know when she was serious and not question her orders. Victoria waited until the pair had rounded the corner and were out of earshot. She puffed her own cigarette. “Well?”

Nathan blew out a breath. “Miss Carter caught me blasting that Lords of Acid song at Caulfield in the cafeteria.”

“So what? No crime.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said but because Caulfield left in tears, I got burned anyway.”

“Damn Alpha bitch.” Victoria scowled on Nathan’s behalf. She jammed her cigarette in his direction. “Say the word and Lamefield is done.”

Nathan took a deep drag. He tilted his head back and let out the smoke in a long, slow breath. “Nah. Don’t worry about it, V. Not this time.”

Eyebrows shooting up, Victoria stared at Nathan in shock. This was quite unexpected. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Nathan fell silent and simply focused on his cigarette. Victoria opted against asking any further questions, knowing the silence meant her friend was trying to form the right words to explain himself. It took time, sometimes, and she respected that.

Finally, he crushed out his cigarette. “You remember what I told you before about Miss Carter’s advice? About finding a Daddy Dom?” He waited until she nodded. “Well, she said it again today. Said that if I don’t find someone soon, everything I'm keeping bottled up will explode and hurt everyone around me.” He shook his head. “She said she didn’t want to read my name in the obituaries.”

“Shit.” Again, Victoria was shocked. She may not like Miss Carter but she was also well aware that she was damn good at her job. For her to say something like that, it had to be serious. Dead serious. She swallowed. “So what are you going to do?” she asked in a quieter voice.

“I don’t know, V. I mean, shit. You know what my dad’s like. He hates I’m a sub, hates the thought of it. He finds out I’m trying to find a Daddy, he’s gonna flip his shit.”

“Did you tell Miss Carter that?”

“Yeah. She said that I’m 18 and he has no say in who I see or when. But that’s not the only issue. Even if I manage to tell him to fuck off, one snap of his fingers and I’m cut off.” He took shuddering breath. “I don’t think I could handle that. I’m not strong enough.” The last part came out a harsh whisper.

Victoria reached forward and placed a hand on Nathan’s forearm. She hated seeing him this distraught, hated that she was pretty terrible at the comforting friend thing. But maybe there was something she could do.

She squeezed his arm, focusing his attention. “Come with me this weekend. We’ll take a trip to the Chase Space.”

Nathan looked confused. “What for?”

“I never told you this before because I figured you’d never use it but my folks have opened an exclusive D/S facility at the Chase Space. Very private. The staff are all experienced and have signed extreme NDAs to prevent leaks, on pain of financial ruin. No electronics, either. You have to be physically present to make any appointments. And you have to know the right people just to get an invite.”

“I take it you're the ‘right people?’”

“Being the eldest daughter of the Chase family does have benefits.” Victoria shrugged. “May as well use it for good for once.”

“I bet.” He considered. “How much?”

“Exclusive VIP shit. First visit and consultation is free.”

Nathan fell silent again as he weighed his options. Running around with Victoria was risky, even if the Chase Space was as exclusive as she said. There was always a chance it could get back to his father. But he also thought about Miss Carter’s words and knew the truth behind them. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. And if he didn’t get help soon, what if one of the ones he hurt was Victoria? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. She was probably the only real friend he had. No, he couldn’t risk it. Worse case scenario and his father did catch wind of this, he could probably weather one, maybe even two, lectures before it got really bad.

He turned back to Victoria. “Okay, let’s do it.”

Victoria let our a quiet sigh of relief. Finally, she was able to help, even if it was just acting as chauffeur. And that made her remember something else. “Taylor’s probably going to be with us. I’ve been taking her to see her mother in the hospital every weekend for a while now. She won’t say shit, though. And she won’t even be with us when we go to the Chase Space so she won’t even know about that part.”

“Okay.” Nathan nodded. “Thanks for this, V. I appreciate it.”

“For you, no charge.”

The two shared a smirk before Nathan spoke once more. “Oh, yeah, one more thing: go easy on Caulfield, okay?”

“What’re you talking about?”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “How long have we been friends? I know you. Even though I said don’t worry about it, I know you’re gonna lay into her about this. Seriously, don’t. Not this time. I was in the wrong, not her.” He tapped his sandwich board. “Brat, remember?”

Victoria couldn’t help it: she stared at Nathan, just barely keeping her jaw from hitting the table. She shook her head in disbelief. “Damn. If this is what therapy has done for you, I can’t wait to see how easy-going you’re gong to be after a good fucking.”

“Oh, kiss my ass!”

Victoria’s responding cackle was loud and long.

 

* * *

 

Max was waiting outside of the cafeteria, willing the doors to open sooner. She was really, really hungry. The last meal she had was yesterday’s lunch and that was pretty meager. Even though the choices tonight were not the best, at this point, anything would do.

She was contemplating the pros and cons of fried fish sticks versus mystery meat meatloaf when the fire alarm sounded. Max groaned and lifted her gaze to the heavens. “Are you cereal right now?!” The alarm was loud, annoying, and worse, it meant no dinner since the whole building now had to be evacuated. Max adjusted the strap of her messenger bag and left, grumbling about the injustice of everything.

She was just about to exit the building when the doors to the cafeteria burst open and one of the lunch ladies dashed out. Turning, she caught the attention of Principal Wells who had emerged from his office. “Sir! This way!”

As Principal Wells hurried over, Max blinked. It wasn’t just her imagination: that was actually smoke coming out of the doorway. She very quickly joined the rest of the students nearby in making a rapid exit out of the building. Once outside, she shook her head in disbelief. A fire alarm for an actual fire and not a prank. That had to be a first.

Her stomach growled and she winced. Great. Now what was she supposed to do?

“Hey, Max!”

One of the things Max was slowly discovering was that her habit of always looking towards the ground had become a weird blessing/curse at Blackwell. The blessing was when she heard her name being called, she, of course, turned her head in that direction and in the process of raising her gaze to look at the face of said person, was treated to the wondrous sight of about a mile of exquisitely athletic legs, nice hips clad in gym shorts, a hint of flat stomach below a t-shirt, a lovely swell of breasts, a tease of collar bone, and finally, the attractive face of Dana Ward. The curse was a temporary loss of higher brain functions that sometimes led to teasing or mocking, depending on who it was. She blinked and smiled. Dana never seemed to notice, though. “Hey, Dana. What’s up?”

It was quite fortunate for Max's sanity and self-esteem that Dana had yet to admit that she noticed Max check her out. Every. Single. Time. Dana had always considered the brunette cute and her attentions flattering so never saw reason to bring attention to it. But over time, she was figuring other little things about Max, some of which weren't the most comfortable. This morning's breakdown, for example. Dana had a feeling that if she did tease Max, even in lighthearted fun, she'd take it the wrong way, start feeling bad about it, and fall over herself trying to apologize for it. Dana refused to do that to her so instead, she smiled. “Not much but I’m so glad I caught you. See, I completely forgot that Wednesdays are double-duty for me, with both swim practice and cheer practice happening back to back. I’m absolutely wiped afterwards. Do you think we could take a rain check on tonight’s bitch fest?”

Max nodded. “That’d be fine. I know you’re pretty busy right after classes anyway, so yeah, no problem. Maybe tomorrow?”

“How about Saturday, instead? I know my schedule’s clear that day and it’ll be better since I won’t be distracted by prepping for Friday’s game.”

“Let me check my completely not-made-up schedule book,” Max joked with a small grin. “Of course that’s okay. You just have fun and don’t work too hard, okay?”

“Sure thing.” Dana touched Max’s shoulder. “Thanks for understanding. Gotta run, catch you later!”

And with that, Max watched Dana turn and jog away. Her cheeks did not flush slightly as she totally did not check out Dana's backside. Nor did she gently bite her bottom lip as she finally discovered living proof of the phrase "perky butt." She shook her head free of the thought. Bad Max.

“Yo, Max!”

Max blinked and turned at the new voice. This time, it was Warren who called out. She noticed Brooke trailing right behind him. As usual, she didn’t look happy. Max forced herself not to wince and instead gave a friendly smile. “Hey, Warren, Brooke. What’s up?”

“Not much.” He jammed his thumb in the direction of the main building. “Except now dinner’s out of the question. We were gonna head over to the Two Whales and grab a bite there. Wanna come?”

Max wasn’t religious but prayed to any spirits that might’ve been listening at that moment to please not let Warren hear her stomach growl at the thought of dinner. “Thanks for asking but I was thinking about skipping for now, get started on some of my homework. I’ve fallen a bit behind.”

Brooke snorted softly from where she stood. “This is what you get for waiting for the last minute.”

It was an epic battle to not roll her eyes but Max managed. Barely. “Yeah, I know. But I’ll handle it.”

“Are you sure? I mean, we’d love to have you. It wouldn’t be any bother. And afterwards, maybe we can help with your homework, too! Knock it out of the park.”

Max flicked her gaze over to Brooke who seemed to be sending a clear message: say “yes” and you die in your sleep. She gave Warren what she hoped was more smile and less grimace. “I’m sure. You two have fun! Bye!” And before Warren could insist, she turned and hurried back to the dorms.

The entire way, she was complaining to herself. No food and thanks to her lying, she couldn’t even head over to the Two Whales for dinner. Not yet, anyway. She’d have to wait an hour, maybe two, to avoid Warren and make things believable that she got caught up, then went out.

Her stomach growled again and she clutched her abdomen. It was just two hours. She could do two hours. She hoped.

Once in her dorm, she unloaded her messenger bag, pausing as she looked at her camera. She’d been neglecting it the past few days which was not normal. Still, with everything going on lately, she supposed it was somewhat understandable. She promised herself to snap some photos tonight when she went out to dinner. Maybe she’d restock on her snacks at the same time. Yeah, that was a good idea.

Again, she organized her homework assignments based on how soon it was due. Max really didn’t feel like any of it yet, though. She blamed her hunger. She spied her D/S notebook and opted to go for that first. She grabbed it and her folder, opening the latter and eyeing the chart inside. Since Dana was going to be unavailable tonight, she figured she may as well continue on alphabetically.

One short trip later and Max was feeling a bit disheartened. Alyssa had initially started off eager to help but once she got an idea of what Max needed, she stopped. “I really don’t think I’ll be able to help since I’m ace. I don’t know if I’m a Domme or a sub, really, and Blackwell’s courses seem too focused on the sex rather than the relationship for me to figure it out. Even their Power Dynamic course kinda sucks for that. Sorry.” A couple of short questions later and she had Alyssa marked as N under the “did she help” column, unknown for the D/S question, straight under orientation, and jotted down in the notes to find out whether ace counted as a sexual identity or orientation.

Sarah turned out to be even less help. She had opened her door, saw that it was Max, then immediately closed it. Max was dejected but not entirely surprised.

So now she was on the fourth name on her list, likely the biggest problem she’d have to face: Victoria. All this time at Blackwell and she still had a negative zero idea on how to approach her without irritating her. Maybe there just wasn’t any way and Max was just an irritating presence to her? That seemed most likely since all she had to do was exist and Victoria would insult her. She did her best to just ignore the blonde but it was exceptionally hard since they were both studying the same field and shared a bunch of classes.

Max sighed and shuffled her feet as she stood outside Victoria’s door, trying to drum up the courage to knock. Maybe she’d actually be helpful for once. Maybe they could have a halfway decent conversation where she wasn’t insulted every other sentence. Maybe Max could squeeze out a tiny fraction of a spine and stand up for herself.

Maybe flying monkeys would shoot out of her ass.

(That was actually a Chloe quote but Max felt it fit the situation perfectly.)

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Max lifted her fist, gave the door a knock, and waited for a response.

And waited.

And waited.

Huh. Maybe she was out? That was odd, though. It was Wednesday afternoon. Classes were done. She was always here. Not like Max had her schedule memorized or anything but Victoria was a creature of habit. Wednesdays were a free day, unless there was a party to plan, but according to the various flyers around campus, that wasn’t until next week. So where was she?

Max bit her lip. Curiosity warred with her survival instincts and eventually won out. She tested the door and found it open, so she opened it a crack, waiting for the inevitable screams of outrage. When none came, she opened the door further and took a peek.

The first thing she noticed was Victoria’s room was clean. And not just free of dust; there was a distinct lack of clutter as well. Immaculate was a word that came to mind. The second, third, and fourth things she noticed were three large, poster-sized portraits of Victoria right above her bed.  Max eased her way into the room and stood in front of the bed, gazing at the portraits. On the left, Victoria was wearing a casual, though probably still expensive as all hell, outfit, holding what was presumably her pet. She looked beautiful and cute. On the right, looking like she was heading to the gym, was Victoria in hot pants and a hooded sweatshirt. Her face was fierce. It was damn hot. But the one in the middle?

Max’s mouth went dry.

Victoria in a bikini. Leaning on a railing against a backdrop of beach and ocean. Flawless skin. Perfect makeup. Abs. Holy shit, abs. She must work out. Her eyes bright, her smile secretive. It was like she knew whoever was viewing her was thinking naughty thoughts. If this picture was on her phone, she’d protect it like she did Chloe's.

Something within Max stirred. If she had the capacity for rational thought, she might've been able to identify that something as arousal.

So caught up was she in her appreciation of the artistry of the shot that she failed to notice when someone else entered the room. Someone who had a perpetual bone to pick with Max. Someone with the aforementioned flawless skin, perfect makeup, and abs. Someone who actually belonged in the room.

Victoria crossed her arms and glowered at the shy brunette hipster waif trespassing in her space. Certainly not what she expected when she entered. She hadn’t been noticed yet, odd since she wasn't being stealthy at all. Usually, being ignored pissed her off something fierce. To be a Domme and a Chase and not be noticed? By a sub no less? And this one to boot?

At least she wasn’t skulking around, rifling through her things, though it was entirely possible she had already done so and was now just waiting to be caught? Hmm. Unlikely. So, she entered Victoria’s room to do whatever the hell but instead got distracted by her portraits? More likely. And now she was just standing there, fueling her personal fantasies with images of Victoria’s half naked body?

…Okay, that she was fine with. It just usually wasn’t this blatant, that’s all.

Victoria let out a quiet huff and very gently closed her door. She made her way inside until she was standing behind her intruder who was still utterly oblivious to anything but those portraits (part of her was quite proud of that fact). She did promise Nathan not to give Max any shit about his deal but this? This was different. She smirked. And she was going to enjoy this quite a bit.

She took a deep breath and barked, “CAULFIELD!”


	10. Chase, Victoria

Whatever reaction Victoria was expecting, what she actually got was way more dramatic. Max shrieked, dropped her stuff, jumped backwards, bumped into Victoria, bounced off her, stumbled to the left, collided with her desk, spun around, tripped, fell to the right, stumbled again, turned in her direction, jerked herself ramrod straight, held her rigid pose for a half second before her eyes rolled backwards and she collapsed in a boneless heap. She would’ve cracked her skull against a small end table if Victoria hadn’t rushed forward and snatched a fistful of hoodie at the last moment. As it was, she was now awkwardly holding Max partially upright, whose head and neck were flopped backwards, making it look as if Victoria had just shot her and was waiting for a dramatic music cue to let her body fall to the ground.

“Goddammit, Caulfield. You just had to make this awkward.” Victoria shifted and knelt beside Max, crouching low to work her arms behind the brunette’s knees and upper back. Getting a good grip, she stood and easily carried Max over to her bed, bridal style. She laid her down gently, straightened her legs, and tucked a pillow underneath her feet.

She took a step back and tried not to feel concerned. It was Max, after all, nosy little hipster who spent her entire existence annoying the hell out of Victoria with her shy persona, mousy locks, cute freckles, and raw talent. The fact that she broke into her room to openly appreciate Victoria’s portraits was more than ample reason for her to throw her skinny ass out. After making sure she was okay. But only because Victoria didn’t want a manslaughter charge to mar her burgeoning photography career. Obviously.

Shit.

Victoria huffed out a breath and started straightening the things on her desk that Max jarred after slam dancing against it. Why the hell did she pass out like that? In all the time she had (not) known Max, she had never demonstrated any prevalence for fainting. Not even in Phys Ed. Did she just not react well to being scared?

Finished with her desk, Victoria turned to make sure Max didn’t steal her cookies when she stepped on a foreign object. Looking down, she saw a light blue folder that wasn’t there before. It had to belong to Max. Victoria picked it up and flipped it open, figuring that if Max was fine with invading her space, there wasn’t a problem with Victoria snooping through Max’s stuff.

…

Hmm.

This was…

Okay, this was a lot more than she anticipated.

She read through the D/S study write up again, taking a moment to try and understand what it must’ve been like to be so utterly clueless about one’s self that she needed a special assignment to even get an idea, never mind actually figure it out. It was such a foreign concept to her. She had been tested early and often, and her focused training throughout middle school reflected that. She was a Domme, a Queen, and was quite comfortable with that. But Max?

Victoria felt a flicker of irritation that Rachel was the first person Max interviewed but if she was going alphabetically, that made sense. And they were friends. Somehow. She also wasn’t surprised Sarah didn’t bother to help but Alyssa being ace? Victoria had figured she was straight but just not interested in the clowns here at Blackwell. This made sense, too, though the note on Alyssa’s entry caught her eye: was ace a sexual identity or orientation?

Victoria blinked. That was… a rather intriguing question.

Before she could start debating the question herself, a low moan sounded from her bed. Victoria glanced up and saw Max was stirring. She closed the folder and stepped forward, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

Max slowly came to, groaning. Her head was killing her. What the hell happened? She brought a hand up to her face and clutched her forehead. Dog, she felt dizzy. She blinked and tried to focus her eyes on the ceiling. There was a slight motion to her right so she tilted her head in that direction. Her head swam with the movement so she closed her eyes for a moment and worked on breathing instead.

“Any day now, Caulfield.”

That voice was familiar. If she didn’t know any better, it kind of sounded like--

Max gasped, her eyes flying open to see a blurry yet annoyed Victoria standing over her. She didn’t think; she panicked. She jerked herself to a sitting position and scrambled backwards. Or at least, that was the intent. The abrupt increase in her heart rate, her sudden movement, and her low blood sugar all combined to make Max really regret life. Her eyes swam and she started to fall over again.

“Jesus Christ, Caulfield, lay the fuck down already!” Victoria hurried forward and grasped Max’s shoulders, easing her back down on her bed. The hipster followed her motions, unable to even contemplate fighting against her. At least she didn’t pass out again but she was completely out of it. Her eyes stayed open but Victoria hated how they remained unfocused and kept rolling around.

Victoria gently took a hold of Max’s wrist, holding her fingers to her pulse. It was pounding like a jackhammer which wasn’t helping at all. Victoria took a deep breath and did her best to keep her voice soft. “Calm down, Max. Keep your eyes closed and listen to my voice. Can you hear me? Don’t nod, just listen. Take a deep breath.” She waited and was gratified that Max obeyed. “Good. Now, let it out. Okay. Again, in. Slowly. Out. Relax. In. Easy does it. Out, nice and slow.” She maintained this for a couple of minutes until she felt Max’s pulse slow to something resembling a normal human being.

She lifted her hand and hovered it about five inches above Max’s eyes. “Open your eyes but take it easy.” She waited for Max to comply. She saw Max blink in confusion, likely wondering why she was staring at a hand, and nodded to herself. She made a fist and extended her index finger. “Follow my finger with just your eyes. Don't move your head. If you start feeling dizzy, stop and close your eyes.” Victoria slowly moved her hand left, then right. Up, then down. Max followed her motions with no issues and never closed her eyes. Good.

Victoria brought her hand up and felt Max’s brow, noticing when Max went rigid. “Stop that. Relax.”

“S-sorry,” was the whispered reply.

“Don’t be sorry, be relaxed. Breathe.” Victoria waited for Max to do so before lifting her hand. “No fever. Your breathing is better and you’re able to focus your vision again.” She stepped back. “But until I know you’re not going to fall flat on your face again, you’re going to stay right there.”

Max swallowed hard. “Okay. Sorry.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “What did I just say? Don’t be sorry. Relax.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?" Victoria replied with a blink. "Because I caught you in my room?”

Max closed her eyes and gave a tiny nod. “Yeah.”

Victoria frowned. "What, did you think I was going to smack you around? Force you to your knees? Maybe beat you with a cane?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Max gulped. "B-because you're a Domme and you hate me."

Jesus. Victoria closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Of all the… She shook her head slowly. But then again, she read that assignment. Max didn't know any better. Literally. And, Victoria supposed, she's never given Max a reason to think otherwise. Okay, so she picked on her. A little bit. But somehow, she never actually considered that Max might actually think she actively hated her. That wasn't her intent.

Victoria sighed and opened her eyes. “We'll get to that later. At least explain why you were in my room. You owe me that much at least.”

“Okay.” Max took a deep breath. “I, um, have a special assignment that I need help with. From a lot of people. The more, the better. I wanted to ask you for your help even though…”

When it became obvious that Max wasn’t going to finish that though, Victoria prodded her with, “Even though…?”

“Even though you’d probably say no.” Max sounded extremely reluctant to admit that, as if Victoria would take great offense to the thought.

“So why try at all?” Victoria figured she knew the answer but wanted to see if Max would admit that, too.

Max cleared her throat. “Miss Carter, the one who gave me the assignment, said not to be eager to dismiss people and even if they said no the first time around, they might change their minds.”

Victoria nodded. Made some sense. “Why me, specifically?”

“It’s part of the assignment. I need to speak to nine out of 12 people in the girls’ dorm.” Max licked her lips. “I wanted to interview you because you’re a powerful Domme. You’re so forceful, like this huge presence, everyone has to pay attention to you. You're so different from Rachel and Chloe. I was hoping to compare the differences.”

She couldn’t help but feel pleased that Max thought of her as powerful. As for different from Rachel, though, that could be either good or bad. “I take it you didn’t just barge into my room when you went looking for me,” Victoria stated.

“No,” Max shook her head slightly. “I tried knocking but there was no answer. So I tried the door, thinking if you were inside, you’d just yell at me for interrupting you, but that didn’t happen, either. I guess I got curious?”

“Nosy, you mean.”

“I didn’t mean it. I-I mean, I guess I did mean to come in but I wasn’t going to stay. I was just gonna take a quick look around but then I saw... Um, saw…” Max flicked her eyes from the ceiling to the portraits, to Victoria, to the portraits, then back to the ceiling. She could feel her face turning bright red.

Victoria snorted softly. Typical shy hipster. At least she now knew it wasn't a mask. If Max's hipster persona had merely been an affectation, she doubted Max could maintain it in private like this and under such intense scrutiny.

Letting the moment pass, Victoria opted to ask something else. “So why the hell did you pass out? I never figured you for the fainting type.”

As if in response, Max’s stomach growled. Loudly.

Victoria blinked and watched as Max clutched her abdomen and tried to shrink into her bed and disappear. “Well, I suppose that’s one way of answering.” She rose and walked to her mini-fridge. “How long as it been since you last ate for you to actually reach pass-out levels?”

“Um. Lunch. Yesterday.”

Victoria turned back, dumbfounded. “You’re shitting me.”

“It was a really bad and weird day and a half,” Max muttered as an explanation. “I didn’t mean it to skip so many but things just kept going wrong.”

“Dammit, Caulfield,” Victoria grumbled. She reached in and grabbed a mini-bottle of orange juice and closed the door. She then reached up and opened a cabinet above her fridge and grabbed a bag of cookies. She walked back to the bed. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? Sit up but go slow. I don’t want you passing out again. I actually want to use that bed at some point.”

Max sighed but did as she was told, easing her way upright. She took a moment to make sure she wasn’t dizzy and turned to let her legs hang over the edge of the bed. She blinked when Victoria thrust the bottle of juice at her.

“Here. Drink this. Your blood sugar is probably too low. This will help.”

Nodding, Max took the bottle and took a deep drink. Then, she noticed the cookies. “Wait, are those mine?”

Flushing slightly, Victoria looked away. “Of course not! Why the hell would I steal cookies from your room?” She shoved the pack into Max’s hands and crossed her arms. “Do something nice for someone and suddenly they start accusing you of robbing them.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Victoria.” She shoved a couple of cookies in her mouth and did her level best not to get crumbs all over the bed, figuring the sheets probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.

Making a quick decision, Victoria grabbed her purse and jammed a finger in Max’s direction. “Wait here and don’t move. I’ll be back in two minutes.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just don’t leave the bed and don’t go through my stuff.” And with that, Victoria left the room.

Max sighed and ate another cookie. Victoria was acting really weird. Almost nice. “Almost” because she was still brusque and abrasive but she didn’t throw Max out, didn’t cuss her out, and was taking care of her after she passed out. And was trusting her in her room while she left to do dog-knows-what. Okay, so the temptation was there to browse around her room but she really didn’t want to push her luck, either with Victoria’s patience or her own sense of balance. She’d never passed out before, after all. She’d probably feel more embarrassed about it if she wasn’t so damn hungry.

Max finished off the orange juice and closed the pack of cookies. She didn’t want to get full on sweets. Previous experience told her it would just screw her up later. She was idly picking at the bottle’s label with her thumbnail when the door reopened and Victoria reentered, a small plastic bag in hand. Max watched, curious, as she closed the door behind her and strode into the room.

“Here.” Victoria handed the plastic bag to Max, who took it. “The Snak Shak downstairs has an abysmal selection on the best of days but their chicken Caesar wrap is at least somewhat palatable. They were out of orange juice, though, so hopefully you aren’t allergic to apple.”

“No, I’m good.” Max blinked in shock. Not only had she completely forgotten about the tiny snack store in the basement of the dorms but Victoria actually bought food for her? “Thank you. You, um, didn’t have to do that.” Her voice was a soft whisper.

Victoria snorted in reply. “Of course I didn’t have to. I wanted to. Big difference. And don’t mention it. Seriously. Like, ever.”

Max opened the bag and withdrew the plastic container with the wrap, also noticing a couple packs of peanut butter crackers, two mini bottles of apple juice, and a stack of napkins. She popped the lid and began to eat.

A few minutes passed as Max polished off her food. Unsurprisingly, she ate the entire wrap, though she did opt to save the crackers for later since she did have those cookies. Thankfully, even though she was still in Victoria’s room, dinner wasn’t awkward since her bully/savior took the time to finish a calculus assignment in the interim.

When she was finished, Max placed the empty container back in the plastic bag. “Thanks again, Victoria. I really appreciate it.”

The blonde in questions turned from the desk to face her fully. “Don’t skip so many meals again or the next time you faint, I won’t be there to rescue you.”

“Okay,” Max agreed. “I was planning on restocking some granola bars and stuff the next time I went out. I usually have those on hand but I didn’t realize I’d run out.”

Victoria shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. “Yes, well, just keep a better eye on things in the future.” She then pointed at Max’s folder. “So, were you going to ask your questions or what?”

“Oh.” Max blinked. How did Victoria know about that?

Victoria caught the expression. "Don't give me that look. You broke in my room, I look through your stuff. Fair's fair. Plus," she added with a shrug, "you’re already here and I’m not going anywhere. May as well grant you whatever expertise I can offer.”

It was surprising that Victoria really wanted to help, even after all that happened. A grateful smile grew on Max's face. “Thank you.”

This time, Max’s smile wasn’t tentative or nervous but genuinely happy. Victoria did not think it looked great on her and totally didn’t feel her own lips twitch upwards in reciprocation. Fortunately, Max didn’t catch her reaction as she had left the bed to start searching around the floor. Victoria raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking for now?”

“My notebook. I had it with my folder when I-- Found it!” Max got down on her hands and knees and stretched an arm underneath the bed, inadvertently giving Victoria a perfectly framed view of her backside. “I take notes when I do one of these so I can write up the report later and not forget anything important.” She stood, notebook in hand, and sat back down. “I must’ve dropped it down there when you scared the shit out of me.”

“If you’re expecting an apology…”

Max shook her head. “No, I was completely in the wrong. I shouldn’t have been in your room at all. And looking at it after the fact, even I can admit you got me real good.” She grinned. “Chloe’d be jealous.”

There was no way for Victoria to keep a smile off her face this time but she did manage to turn it into a smirk. “It was a much bigger reaction than I was expecting. It’s also the first time I had someone faint on me.  That wasn’t part of a scene, anyway.”

Max took the pen out from the spiral wire and popped the notebook open. “Rachel used that word before. What’s a ‘scene,’ exactly?”

Victoria sat back and thought. “Most Dommes and subs, nearly all actually, don’t live their kinks 24/7. They go to work and school, go home, cook, eat, etc. like you’d expect. When the time comes and they want to get down and dirty, they’ll set a time and place to do it. A scene.

“Both the Domme and sub will talk about what they want, set the limits, negotiate the terms. When they come to an agreement, they will start the scene. Sex is common but not always present. The most critically important thing, though, is to conform to the terms previously negotiated. If either the Domme or sub deviates from them, it doesn’t just foul the immersion and ruin the mood. It violates consent and destroys trust.”

Max dutifully jotted down several notes. She raised her gaze, confused. “I get the thing about trust and consent but doesn’t planning everything out in advance ruin the fun? Like, if a sub knows ahead of time everything to expect, isn’t it less, um, romantic, I guess?”

“Not if it’s exactly what they both want.” Victoria hummed in thought and crossed her legs, the movement catching Max’s gaze. “Think of it like planning a date. You and your significant other might decide to eat Italian, catch a movie, then take a long walk on the beach. The fact that you've agreed to this ahead of time doesn't lessen the enjoyment of the date itself. Remember, though, not every sexual encounter is a scene and not every kinky interaction requires negotiation. Sometimes, sex is sex. And if you want to be spontaneous and enjoy the moment, there's nothing wrong with that. But if it’s going to be very involved, more intense, if you’re planning on pushing the envelope or if it’s your first time, you’ll want that negotiation.

“For example, say you were my sub and wanted to play a naughty school girl with me being the strict teacher. You want to roleplay being in detention for talking in class. You want to be spanked. Spanked with what? My hand? A paddle? Ruler? Switch? A belt? Forced to stand or kneel? Perhaps tied down on the desk, legs spread, forced to endure some rough handling? Is sex okay? Do you want to come? Do you want to beg for it? Do you want it denied?

“And that’s just you as the sub. The Domme, me, would also ask questions. Perhaps you don’t mind standing but I enjoy the sight of you on your knees. Is that okay? Is there anything that might prevent you from doing so, like an injury I'm not aware of? If sex is okay, may I bury your face into my crotch and ‘force’ you to eat me out before you’re allowed to experience any pleasure? If I said I could procure a real classroom for the scene, would you agree to use it? And how hard is too hard for the spanking? How would I know if I go too far with the pain?” Victoria shrugged. “This is also why safewords are so important, especially if you’re new to kink, new to each other, or just plain new.”

Max kept her one hand on her pen, the other on her notebook, and her bottom lip firmly between her teeth. She wrote and wrote and prayed her flushed face would cool before she had to look up again. Her handwriting was getting a bit sloppy, her breathing was just a bit harder than a moment ago, and she doubted she could stop the mental images flooding her brain even if she were to drop dead. “Um.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “Safewords?”

Victoria nodded, expecting the question. “Yes. Something a sub can say to immediately stop everything happening, no matter what, no questions asked, and be freed from any and all bondage, if present. Even if things are going well, even if a scene is exactly what a sub wants, things can change in a heartbeat. She’s not turned on any more. She’s getting sore or a cramp. Something about the scene has triggered a bad memory and she needs out. She’s had her third orgasm and can’t go on anymore.

“Little known fact: Dommes might need to use one as well. For exactly the same reasons. Something’s just not right or plain doesn’t feel good anymore. The sub hasn’t used her safeword and it’s getting dangerous. Whatever the case may be, the safewords are there for a reason and using them isn’t to be taken lightly or treated as a joke. Anyone who does isn’t to be trusted and should be avoided at all costs.

“The most common safewords I use in my scenes are simply ‘red,’ ‘yellow,’ and ‘green.’ Red means ‘stop everything, I need out.’ Yellow is more for things like ‘I need a moment to catch my breath’ or ‘I might need to shift positions.’ Green is ‘all clear’ and gives me permission to keep going after I ask if she's okay or needs a break.”

Max really hoped her face wasn't as red as she thought it was as she nodded in understanding. “That’s really smart.” She thought about everything Victoria had just explained, about the fact that she had been in scenes before. “Have you ever had to use a safeword?”

“Not yet. Fortunately, the scenes I’ve participated in haven’t been so intense for me, personally, to require it. My subs have, though, red and yellow both, and for a variety of reasons. There was really no set pattern even with the same sub. Remember, what was incredibly hot and sexy one day could be terrifying and wrong the next. Green one day could be red any other. Because of that, there’s no shame in having to use a safeword. None whatsoever. Any Domme who tries to belittle you for using one or for even asking about one during the negotiation phase isn’t a Domme at all but a bully, a pure sadist, or possibly a sociopath. Avoid at all costs.”

Max wondered if Victoria meant “bully” in a different context than what she did to her on a near-daily basis. Most likely. “What kind of Domme are you?”

“I’m what you might label a Queen. I give orders and expect them to be obeyed. I like being surrounded by more than one sub. I enjoy feeling beautiful and having the eyes of everyone on me when I enter a room. I have to be in control of every situation, prepared for any contingency, and hate when things go wrong. I’m admittedly a bit conceited and am working on being worthy of the Chase name and legacy.

“And I don’t hate you, Max. At all.”

The pen in Max’s hand fell to the floor as she looked up, utterly shocked. The admission that she was conceited caught her off-guard as did the fact she apparently didn’t feel worthy? But to hear that Victoria didn’t hate her, to physically hear those words coming from those lips, it nearly stopped her heart. She swallowed a huge lump in her throat. “…really?”

“Really.” Victoria took a moment to uncross then recross her legs in the other direction. “I hate fakes. Because of my family’s wealth and position, I’ve been exposed to so many bullshit smiles and insincere people, ass-kissing yes men and fawning followers, all falling over themselves for a chance to be noticed. It makes me sick. Nathan, Taylor, Courtney, say what you will about them but they’re genuine. And they don't give a shit about my family or legacy." She motioned towards Max who was still staring in wide-eyed disbelief. "I had always assumed that your hipster persona was a fake attention-grabbing gimmick and it riled me up since it seemed to be working. But being here together, right now, in this room, you’ve proven me wrong. This close to one another, if you were faking it, I would've seen right through it. Hipster though you may be, you’re you. You're genuine. And despite everything that’s happened between us and all the shit I’ve put you through, you still had the massive brass balls to come into my room to ask for my help, even knowing I’d probably just give you enormous shit about it.” She sat back. “I can’t hate that.”

Max looked back down at her notebook and blinked her vision clear. She had to take several deep breaths before she could trust her own voice. “Thanks.” The words were inadequate for how she felt but she couldn’t think of any others.

“Again, don’t mention it.” She pointed at the notebook. “And if that fact ever shows up anywhere in your reports, or anywhere for that matter, I will end you.”

Max snorted as she fought the surprising giggle that rose in her throat. She nodded. “Wouldn’t expect anything less from the Queen Bee of Blackwell herself.” She gave Victoria a tentative smile.

“Yes, that was clever. Calling the Queen a Queen.” Victoria shook her head as she stood from her chair. “Any other questions? Taylor and Courtney should be here soon and you’ll probably want to make yourself scarce before then.”

“Um, just one. Sexual orientation?”

“Bi.”

“Got it.” Max closed her notebook and gathered her things. She walked over to the door. Maybe it was Victoria’s confession but she was struck by a bought of mischievousness. She wondered if it would work. “The next time I go to the store, I’ll be sure to get extra cookies and put them back on the second shelf.”

“Third,” Victoria corrected out of reflex. She then flushed as she realized what just happened. “Just get the fuck out of here already, Caulfield!” she ordered, jamming her finger towards the door.

Max laughed this time. “Thanks again, Victoria,” she said as she left.

Victoria shook her head. “You’re welcome,” she quietly told the closed door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to the [Life is Strange: Welcome to Blackwell Academy](https://www.amazon.com/Life-Strange-Welcome-Blackwell-Academy/dp/1785659359/), the Prescott Dormitories has a small store/shoppette/mini-mart thing in the basement, which is where I got the idea for the Snak Shak, a silly enough name for what I headcanon as a student-run convenience store at Blackwell that sells little odds and ends, like travel-sized toiletries, snacks and other quick foods, drinks, light office supplies, and other things fit for dorm life. Also located in the basement (and completely invented by yours truly) is the laundry room, a small set of coin-operated washing machines and dryers, which I mentioned in a previous chapter. Just a couple of details I added to flesh out the dorms a bit more.


	11. Angel of the Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of this story reaching 1k hits, I'm posting this chapter early. I know that 1k hits doesn't necessarily mean 1k new readers but I appreciate everyone for even giving this story a chance. And for those of you that have stuck around, even if you haven't felt the urge to comment, thank you for all your support.

> Victoria Chase. Domme. Though I suppose I should briefly mention Alyssa Anderson and Sarah Burch first.
> 
> Alyssa was happy to help but once I explained exactly what I needed for this study, she declined. Not because she didn’t want to but because she felt she couldn’t. She said she’s ace. I had a friend in Seattle who was as well and if Alyssa is anything like that, she’s just not interested in sex at all. But she likes friendship and companionship, maybe even holding hands and hugging and other stuff like that. It’s just that actual sex itself is a no-go.
> 
> Alyssa also said she hasn’t figured out if she’s a Domme or a sub yet. She said it’s because all the courses at Blackwell focus so much on the sex aspect of things instead of the relationship part. I guess that makes sense. I know I’m a sub but what if I never got turned on and felt my submissive urges? Would I have figured it out without those clues?
> 
> Sarah, well, I figured she wouldn’t help.
> 
> But that’s not a problem because surprisingly, Victoria did. Well, after some unnecessary drama where I fainted in her room thanks to not eating anything for over 24 hours. She took care of me and made sure I ate some actual food. And didn’t give me too much of a hard time about it. I never thought I’d say this about Victoria but she was really nice. In a Victoria way, of course.
> 
> She gave me some good info on what a scene is. I’d never heard the term before but in retrospect, it makes a lot of sense: setting a specific time aside to engage in heavy kink play, talking things through beforehand to make sure everyone’s on the same page, making sure it stays safe and consensual. She even said that sex itself doesn’t have to be involved but after what she described, how could it not??
> 
> She also talked about safewords and their use, how they can be used to pause a scene or stop it entirely. How both a Domme and a sub can use them and should never feel ashamed for doing so. Like “scenes,” I’ve never heard of safewords before but now that I do, I think they’re a really smart thing.
> 
> It was also really interesting because unlike Rachel, Victoria knew exactly what kind of Domme she is: a Queen. She said she expects her orders to be obeyed and likes to be surrounded by more than one sub. She likes being the center of attention and has to be in control of every situation. Thinking back on everything I’ve ever seen about Victoria, Queen certainly describes her perfectly. Of course, it makes me wonder if she engages in actual D/S activities with her friends, Taylor and Courtney, but I now know that even if she does, it doesn’t have to be sexual at all.
> 
> I still don’t know what kind of sub I am or what kind of Domme I’d really like, and I don’t know if taking orders from a Queen is something I’d enjoy in the long-term, but after speaking to Victoria one-on-one like this…

Max couldn’t complete the sentence, even for the assignment, not even for her journal, but as she clicked “Send,” she wondered if she wouldn’t mind too terribly taking orders from Victoria once, just to see.

She shook her head. The weird thoughts that came to her brain in the morning. She blamed the lack of breakfast. And she was going to actually get breakfast this time, dammit. She’d finished all of her homework last night. ALL of it. She had decided to forego heading out at all after her interview with Victoria and instead opted to get caught up on everything instead, even things that weren’t actually due until next week, like Algebra and World History. Since it was hard to focus on nothing but schoolwork for that length of time, she did take a couple of breaks, listened to some music, played some guitar, ate the peanut butter crackers Victoria got her, texted her friends. She even ran Rachel’s clothes through the wash. Twice, as she promised herself. She sighed. She hadn’t had time to get them dry cleaned or anything further. Maybe this weekend.

But all that hard work had officially paid off. She’s not just caught up on everything, including her D/S study, but she still had time to hit up the cafeteria for some breakfast before AP English. And this time, come hell or high water, she was going to get there.

A gentle knock on her door interrupted her train of thought. Briefly wondering who it might be, Max quickly patted herself down to make sure she was still dressed and opened her door. And smiled. “Kate!”

“Good morning, Max!” Kate stepped forward and the two shared a brief hug. “I hope you don’t mind the visit.”

“Never. Hey, did you want to join me for breakfast? I was going to head there before class.”

“That sounds great, actually. I could use an English muffin.”

“Let me grab my bag real quick.”

The two left and made their way to the cafeteria, chatting the entire way, about classes in general, yesterday’s Life Drawing class, Max bemoaning the fact that her numerous doodles in the margins of her papers couldn’t count as part of her assignment. “I know there aren’t three-headed dragons here but multiple dimension theory says they should be out there somewhere, right? So why not?”

Kate giggled. “If my eyepatch-wearing dog can’t qualify, then your dragon certainly can’t.”

Each got a tray of food and found a quiet table together. Kate quickly said her grace and started putting jam on her English muffin when she noticed Max looking around the room. “What’s wrong?”

Max sighed and turned back to her meal. “Just nervous. I take it you heard about yesterday?”

Kate shook her head. “No, but then again, I try not to pay attention to rumors. They always do more harm than good.”

“Okay. Well, yesterday, I was feeling super nervous about being out in public after what happened Tuesday, right? But I really wanted breakfast since I missed dinner the night before. So I got here, got my food, sat down to eat but before I could, someone, I don’t know who, started blasting some really loud, obnoxious song about showing off your pussy." Max shuddered. "It hit me hard. And I know it was pointed at me 'cause I heard people laugh when I ran out.” She shook her head and she ate a forkful of eggs. "It would’ve been a lot worse if it wasn’t for Dana finding me.”

“Oh, Max.” Kate placed a comforting hand on Max’s arm. “I’m sorry you had to go through that but I’m glad you weren’t alone.”

Max nodded. “Yeah, Dana was really sweet. She helped me get cleaned up and took the blame for both of us being tardy, though the teacher just waved it off. She even sat next to me in class and kept my spirits up.” She ate some bacon and stopped. “Oh, dog, I just blurted out the word ‘pussy’ to you. Shit, I did it again! I-- I mean, crud! Darn!” Max hung her head. “Oh, just shoot me.”

Kate laughed. “You’re being way too hard on yourself. I’m a Domme in a girls’ dorm at a D/S training facility and high school. You think I haven’t heard far worse than ‘pussy’ before?”

“Yeah, I know. But still. It’s the principle of the thing: don't use foul language around the nicest person in school and apparently the only religious one, too.”

“I think you might have the honor of ‘nicest’ actually. And I certainly do my best to not curse. It’s just not my nature. But trust me, sometimes, you come across a situation where there’s just no better word to describe it than ‘fuck.’” She gave Max a small, cheeky grin and bit into her English muffin.

Max blinked and just laughed. “It’s just so wrong to hear you say that! Never do it again. Leave it up the professionals.”

“I take it you’re one of those professionals?”

“Me? Nah. I was thinking of Chloe, actually.” Max grinned. “You ought to hear her when someone cuts her off in traffic. Arcadia Bay may not have a lot of sailors left but I swear she tries to make up for it through language alone.”

“Hmm.” Kate thought as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I haven’t had the pleasure of hanging out with her yet but I know you have, so I'll take your word for it.”

The two chatted about other things until breakfast was concluded. Kate turned to Max as they deposited their trays and silverware. “Oh, I meant to ask, how does it feel to be wearing a sub collar?”

Max brushed her fingers against its surface. “Honestly? I feels nice. Not just physically, though the leather is super soft. I mean, maybe, emotionally? Spiritually? If that’s not offensive. I just don’t have the right words.”

“Not offensive at all. And I think I know what you mean. It’s a quiet something inside you that feels more settled, almost like when you’re staring at a puzzle and the solution finally pops in your head.”

“Yeah,” Max nodded. “Something like that.”

Kate nodded as well as the two took their seats in AP English. “I think it could be that there was a part of you still arguing against your sub nature but by accepting a submissive’s collar, you’ve accepted that part of yourself, and now things just feel right. I went through something similar when I finally accepted I was a Domme and not a sub like my mother always told me.”

“Really?”

“Yes."

"Wow. I had no idea."

"Well, it's not something I talk about too much. Let's just say it was a rough time."

Max could tell it was something Kate didn’t want to discuss right now. “Maybe you and I could get together later on and talk about it in more detail? If you want. I don't want it to feel like I'm pressuring you to talk about something uncomfortable or bad. It's just I have this thing I’d like your help with, too.”

Kate turned to Max, the discomfiture on her face fading. “Sure. Rachel spoke with me after your interview with her so I already have a rough idea of what you need.” She gave Max a gentle smile. “I’d be happy to help.”

“Thanks.”

As Kate started arranging her things on her desk, Max took a moment to simply gaze at her. Once again, she was struck by Kate's honesty, her openness, her friendship. She was truly beautiful and not just physically, though she was certainly attractive. Just because she dressed more conservatively than other Dommes didn’t mean she wasn’t a looker herself. But with Kate, it was the warmth of her smile, the earnestness in her eyes, how everything about her seemed to exude kindness and acceptance. Her entire nature made her beautiful.

There was a click and a whirl as Max’s Polaroid did it’s thing. Kate blinked, turning back to Max with a smile. “I didn’t even notice you going for your camera.”

Max shrugged. “I haven’t taken a picture in a couple of days so I was itching to. I finally got inspiration.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I saw an angel.”

Kate blinked and felt her own cheeks warm at Max’s words. She looked down at the table where the Polaroid sat, the picture (almost magically) developed. There was Kate, profile framed by the window, sunlight behind her head, making her blonde hair almost glow with an ethereal light. She had a quiet smile on her face, like whatever she was thinking about was making her happy. It was true: in that moment, Kate had been thinking of Max.

At a loss for words, Kate simply blushed. Max did as well but shifted slightly so she and Kate were leaning against each other just a bit. They continued to sit like that, enjoying a companionable silence until class finally started several minutes later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally meant to be a short, 5-sentence scene that acted as an intro to what is now chapter 12. HAH! This is what happens when I find a character's voice: things spiral out of control. Still, I'm quite happy with this chapter and felt it deserved a place in the story.


	12. A Day In the Life of Max

Right before class started, Max received a hell of a surprise in the form of Nathan Prescott. Normally, Max did her best to keep her head down and not look too carefully at either Victoria or Nathan for fear of attracting their attention and their scorn. But today, when Nathan entered the class wearing an obnoxious sandwich board with the words "I'M A BRAT, NOT A DOM" on either side, she had no choice but stare. Nathan was a sub?! And what in the world was going on that he was wearing something like THAT??

Max didn't realize that she had been staring far too long until he had already approached her and was standing right at her desk. She swallowed heavily. Some self-preservation instinct was screaming at her to duck her head and look away but unfortunately, the rest of her had shut down and was accurately imitating a doe-in-headlights. She didn't register Nathan's own discomfort nor the fact that he didn't actually look angry. She also failed to notice when Kate placed a comforting hand on hers while narrowing her own gaze on Nathan. Max might've commented on the completely foreign expression otherwise.

"Hey, Max," Nathan began. He stopped, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, brushed a hand through his hair, looked out the window, glanced at Kate, then finally settled on Max's face. "Sorry about yesterday. I..." He paused again and looked away, mumbled "Dammit," to himself, then looked at Max again. "Just--" He huffed out a breath. "Sorry," he repeated then went to his desk.

Very slowly, Max's brain rebooted. The first thought that occurred to her was, what the actual fuck? When she finally registered her hand was being gently squeezed, she turned to face Kate. She blinked. "What the actual fuck...?"

Kate couldn't help it; she giggled. "I distinctly remember saying not even 10 minutes ago, how sometimes, you come across a situation where there’s just no better word to describe it than ‘fuck.’” She shrugged. "I firmly believe this qualifies."

Max nodded mechanically. "Yeah, no shit." She was still too surprised to berate her own language. "Wow. Um, I..." She shook her head. "Seriously, I have no idea what to think."

"Hmm." Kate let go of Max's hand and considered. "Well, I know how I'd handle it but as you were the one wronged, it's your choice. But for now, we should probably start paying attention to Mrs. Hoida since she just entered the room."

Max blinked and looked towards the front. Sure enough, there was their AP English teacher, dropping her books onto her desk, grabbing a dry erase marker, jotting down a couple of names that Max recognized from her homework. She flipped her own textbook open just as the bell sounded and did her best to focus on class instead of her recent visit to the Twilight Zone.

 

* * *

 

Nathan left AP English the moment the bell sounded, meaning Max didn't have an opportunity to speak with him. Not that she had any idea of what to say, exactly, or if she should even try. It was Nathan, after all, meaning he might fly off the handle if she so much as approached him, never mind actually spoke to him. But he had approached her, right? That means it'd be okay for her to do the same? Maybe?

A soft touch on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. "I wouldn't worry about it so much," Kate stated. "There'll be time enough later to speak with him after classes if nothing else. Besides, even with his apology, he might not want company at the moment."

Max nodded. "Yeah, you're right. And I have to get to class, anyway. See you at lunch?"

"Actually, there's something I have to take care of around that time, so I'll see you in Photography, okay?"

"Sure thing. See you later!"

The two parted ways in the hall, Max headed up the stairs to her next class, the Art of Science. There, she saw that Warren was already seated. He waved when she entered. "Hey, Max!"

Max smiled and lifted her hand in a Vulcan salute. "Hey, yourself."

Warren grinned as he returned the gesture. "Ready for class? I think we might get a pop quiz today."

"Are you cereal? Ugh." Max shook her head as she placed her bag on the table and took out her text- and notebooks. "Didn't we just have one Tuesday?"

"Yeah but that was on chemical composition. This one will likely be on chemical reactions."

"Dog, I can't wait for us to actually get to the Art part of this class. Otherwise, what's the point of bringing my camera?"

Warren took a deep breath through his nose and puffed out his chest in an exaggerated manner. "You can always take shots of me," he said in a deepened voice.

Max grinned. Warren was always such a goof. "Maybe after class. The angle of the light isn't the best now but should be in about an hour."

"Whoa." Warren turned in his seat to look out the window. "I was kind of kidding but hey, you're the expert."

"Pfft. I'm no expert. If I was, I'd already have a picture submitted to the Everyday Hero contest."

"Just give it time. I'm sure something will come up."

"Maybe."

Warren fidgeted in his seat a second. "Hey, uh, I was meaning to ask you..."

Max looked over at him. "About what?"

"Well, I see you're wearing a collar now. I noticed it yesterday but you left before I could ask about it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Does that mean you've found a Dom?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. See?" Max turned away and lifted the back of her hair to reveal the knot holding the collar in place. "No clasp, no claim." She dropped her hair and turned back. "At least, that's how I summarize it. Miss Carter explained that this kind of collar indicates a sub in training only, nothing else." She shrugged. "I haven't been looking for a Domme at all. I'm still trying to figure myself out first."

Warren nodded, relieved. "Gotcha. Yeah, Miss Carter helped me out, too, when I went to her at the beginning of the year. Turns out the reason I was having so many issues in my previous training courses was I thought I was one kind of Dom when in actuality, I was another. I wound up changing courses as a result."

"I'm glad you got her help, then. Has it worked out for you?"

"Oh yeah, big time. Things feel a lot more natural now. Brooke's been a huge help, too."

"Oh?" This was news to Max. "Is she your sub, then?"

Warren turned away, looking a bit embarrassed. "Kinda yes and kinda no? It's weird."

"Hey," Max gave his arm a pat. "Don't worry about it. Trust me, I know all about feeling weird and being embarrassed by the whole D/S thing. You don't have to say anything."

"Thanks, Max." He suddenly perked up. "Hey, maybe later on, you--"

"ALL RIGHT CLASS!!" came the overly enthusiastic interruption. Both Max and Warren turned to face their teacher. With his frizzy hair, lab coat, dark glasses, and bow tie, he definitely had the mad scientist vibe down. Max liked him. "You know what time it is, right?!" A collective groan was the answer, which made the teacher's smile widen. If it stretched any further, Max was afraid his head would split and fall clean off. "That's right: girls versus boys pop quiz! Everyone separate!"

Okay, so Max liked him a bit less now. As the class started shifting around, she gave Warren an apologetic look. "Good luck beating us. After all, they have me on their team. Should be easy for you, right?"

Warren gave her a thumbs up. "Prepare to get smoked."

 

* * *

 

At the end of class, Max snapped a photo of Warren. She managed to catch him with a furrowed brow looking down at his desk. His expression, coupled with the change of lighting that cast a shadow across his face, gave him a rather brooding appearance. It was quite a different shot than others she had taken of him, which she commented on. "Keep this. Maybe you can use it as a Dom profile shot." She gave him a wave and left the class, not noticing him stare at the picture for a long moment, a confident grin forming on his face.

Max made her way to the cafeteria, eager for some grub. She didn't think about it earlier at breakfast but apparently the "fire" wasn't bad enough to shut everything down. The choices seemed to be quite limited this meal, though, as it was pretty much hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. No fries but a lot of chips. Maybe one of the ovens broke and has to be replaced? She shrugged and grabbed a turkey and Swiss, a bag of Cheetos, and some juice. She refused to partake in their burger considering the Two Whales was just down the way a bit and was vastly superior than anything the cafeteria could produce.

Glancing around the room, she saw Rachel making her rounds, as Max liked to call it. Chatting it up with various people, be they Vortex, footballers, skaters, pretty much anyone. She was super popular and worked to maintain that popularity. She explained it to Max once: "It never hurts to make a lot of friends but making a lot of enemies? That can cost you." Max counted herself fortunate that she was more than a casual acquaintance of Rachel's. She just wasn't brave enough to approach her when she was surrounded by others.

Instead, Max took a seat at a mostly unoccupied table, Stella seated on the opposite end. They exchanged polite nods but neither had reason to fill the air with chit chat. Max because she was pretty reclusive without someone else with her to prod her; Stella as she was an introvert focused on reading her book. At least the silence wasn't uncomfortable as they were friendly acquaintances.

As Max ate, she decided to partake in her time-honored hobby of people-watching. There was Rachel again, this time over at Steph's table. Max hadn't had an opportunity to hang out with the beanie-wearing artist for any length of time but knew from Chloe she was quite the D&D nerd. She was friendly to Max the couple of times they spoke so that was a good sign. Over there was Victoria, with Taylor, Courtney, and Sarah. The Vortex table, she called it. Max wondered, again, about Taylor's and Courtney's relationship with Victoria. They were both subs but were either of them Victoria's subs? Neither was wearing a collar, which seemed to indicate no, but then again, Miss Carter did say that the practice of claiming a sub in such a way was a bit old fashioned. Would Victoria stoop so low as use anything labeled "old fashioned" or would she rather do something modern and cutting edge? Whatever that might be, anyway. Max had no clue. Something to look up later?

There was the Bigfoot table and next to it, the cheer table, and next to that, the Otter table. So, pretty much the entire collective of Blackwell's athletic prowess in one corner. Dana was in the middle of that group, unsurprisingly, eating and laughing with her group of friends. No Juliet, though, which probably meant the journalist was either chasing a story or writing one up right about now. A scattering of other students at other tables rounded out the room. No Nathan, she noticed. Sometimes, he'd be found at the Vortex table with Victoria. Other times, Max figured he was just around campus or maybe his room doing whatever. Outside of Victoria, he didn't seem to have a crowd, she realized. Maybe he didn't have one? An odd thought. He and Victoria practically were the Vortex by themselves with various other members orbiting the pair. Wouldn't they be his crowd?

Max shrugged internally. A mystery to ponder another day. Right now, she had enough time to dump her trash and get outside for a bit and maybe snap a photo or two before her next class. Time to go find inspiration.

 

* * *

 

Inspiration failed to find her but only for the best of reasons: Chloe. She had lunch break around the same time as Max and Rachel and spent the last 15 minutes of it bitching and complaining to the two of them in group chat about school, homework, the pressure of tackling two different AP science classes simultaneously, and some guy named Elliot who just couldn't understand she wasn't interested. Or straight. Max sent her words of encouragement for being so brave to go and finish high school, even if it wasn't at Blackwell. Rachel teased Chloe about having her very own Warren. Chloe responded with an image of her flipping off the camera with both hands. Max, ever the diplomat, tried to say that it wasn't like that, Warren was just a nice guy, he couldn't be interested in her, he had Brooke, after all. The responses she got from the two implied they didn't quite agree with her assessment of the situation. Or to use Chloe's response, "you're shittin me, right?"

Seriously, though, Warren couldn't be interested in her, right? She was just so bland and plain and dumb while Brooke was rather cute and super smart and into science and sci-fi, both. It only seemed like Warren was drifting towards Max because he was a Dom and she was a sub. Just a natural reaction, feeling protective towards the unattached sub who hasn't even figured herself out yet. That's all.

Max sighed as she sat at her desk in Media Lab. She recalled her initial meeting with Miss Carter on Tuesday, how she said she’d like to have a Domme someday. She just had no idea who that might be or who’d be willing to put up with her. But regardless of who this hypothetical person might be, Max was pretty certain they’d be a she and not a he. She still liked guys. Kinda. She definitely thought some were cute, like Warren and some of the skater dudes back in Seattle. It’s just that when she thought about actually dating or anything long-term, like a committed relationship, it was always with a Domme and not a Dom. She wasn’t sure if that meant she was gay or questing or bi or whatever other term there might be out there. All she knew for absolute certain was the thought of engaging in actual, real-life D/s dynamics with guys gave her a serious case of the heebie jeebies.

A touch to her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Max started and turned to see Juliet hovering nearby. “Oh, hey, Juliet.”

“Hey yourself,” Juliet replied, withdrawing her hand. “You doing okay there?”

Max blinked. “Um, yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I called your name twice but you didn’t react.” Juliet gave her a smile. “I was afraid you were ignoring me.”

Max shook her head. “I’d never do that on purpose. Sorry. I guess I was just lost in thought.”

“Quite all right. Must’ve been something pretty serious.”

“Yeah,” Max agreed. Then, she paused. There was something about how she phrased that statement that set off a tiny alarm in her head. “Waitaminute.” She gave Juliet an overly suspicious look. “Are you hunting for another story here?”

Rather than act offended, Juliet gave Max a charming grin. “It’s the reporter in me. Can’t help it.” She took a seat next to Max. “Don’t worry: I’m not digging for dirt or anything. I heard about what happened Tuesday, sure, but I also know it’s not something I’d want spread around about me, so why would I do that to you?”

Max relaxed and gave Juliet a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Plus, Rachel said she’d skin me alive if I tried.”

Considering what Rachel told Max before, that sounded about right. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“Certainly.” Juliet leaned back in her chair. “Still, word on the street is you’ve been asking around about D/S stuff at the girls’ dorm.”

Max wondered briefly who might’ve said anything before realizing it wasn’t supposed to be any kind of secret. It could easily have been anyone. “Yeah. I have a special assignment from Miss Carter to ask my peers in the girls' dorm about their D/S lifestyle, their thoughts, opinions, stuff like that, to help me figure out my own.”

“Excellent idea. You’re not talking to professionals so the answers are likely biased or slanted towards that individual’s point of view but at the same time, more immediately beneficial to you, personally.”

Max blinked. “That’s actually a really good summary.” She shifted in her seat. “I was working down the list alphabetically by last name so, if it’s okay with you, could I talk to you about it later?”

“Absolutely! I’d love to also hear your thoughts on things, too. Y'know, from a sub's point of view. It'd be really interesting to get your take on things, being fairly new to everything.” Juliet cocked her head to one side. “How far down the list are you? I figure you just started so you can’t be that far.”

“You’re right. I’m still in the C’s. I spoke to Victoria last night.”

Now it was Juliet’s turn to blink. “Victoria actually helped you?”

Max smiled. “It was a huge surprise to me, too, but she was really helpful and gave me a lot of good info. Here’s to hoping Taylor will be willing to help as well.”

“Hmm.” Juliet pursed her lips as she started thinking about something. Max’s gaze drifted to those lips in the ensuing silence. Unlike her, Juliet was able to pull off a darker shade of lipstick, making her lips pop. They were a touch glossy as well, like a plump cherry, seemingly inviting people to come have a taste. As she watched, those lips relaxed, the corners turning up slightly into a smile. Max unconsciously licked her own as she wondered, not for the first time, what it must be like to kiss those lips and be kissed by them as well.

It was all Juliet could to do to not make a scene by laughing out loud. Max certainly had quite the appreciative gaze. Dana told her that in utmost confidence, never to be shared with anyone else on pain of death, but it was absolutely true. And unlike some of the stares she got from some of the footballers and that one Otter, it didn’t feel creepy at all. But now she had a dilemma: how could she extract herself from the situation without Max realizing she’d been caught? That was something else Dana had stressed and after observing Max for some time, Juliet could agree: if she did bring attention to Max’s staring, the poor girl would likely suffer an anxiety-fueled aneurysm and die on the spot.

Fortunately, their teacher chose that moment to enter the class and greet the room. It was enough of an interruption that Max was startled back to awareness, none the wiser. Juliet gave her a friendly, “Later, Max,” as she returned to her own desk. Still, she only kept part of her attention on the lesson. The other part, the investigative part, was considering what Max had said and the inside information she now likely had on both Rachel and Victoria. Max would likely be getting even more info on others in the dorm, too. So, how to go about getting that juicy intel…?

 

* * *

 

Photography. Max’s favorite class, her most beloved hobby, and the one thing she’d actually like to make a career out of. She entered the classroom, seeing Stella, Hayden, and Daniel already at their seats, looking bored, stoned, and happy, respectively. Kate was at her desk, too, sketching something in her art pad. Victoria was standing at one of the windows, looking out, while Taylor stood nearby, camera in hand. As Max watched, Taylor aimed the camera at Victoria’s profile and snapped a shot. Instinctively, Max knew the resulting shot would be okay but certainly not great: the angle was too flat and the light from the afternoon sun wasn’t quite right. Give it 40 more minutes, though, and shift to the side a bit more, lower the angle, and then it’d be a good shot.

Max shrugged internally. At least Taylor could take shots of Victoria. Max just wasn’t brave enough to try, not like she did with Kate this morning. She withdrew the photo from her journal and examined it again, nodding in approval. If Mr. Jefferson required the class to have a photo for today’s lesson, she was pleased to have one ready to go.

As Max took her other supplies out from her messenger bag, she noticed Victoria had turned to look in her direction. Uncharacteristically, she remained silent, not starting her usual volley of disparaging comments about her hair, her lack of skill, her cheap clothing, hipster camera, or any number of other things. Rather, Victoria seemed to just take her in, like seeing Max for the first time, before finally walking in her direction.

Max stiffened as she approached, wondering if Victoria just wanted to close the distance before launching her verbal volley. She was only vaguely aware of Taylor trailing behind, a curious expression on her face. Victoria surprised her by not saying anything, instead, glancing down and taking hold of Max’s photo of Kate. She spent several long moments examining it closely. Max swallowed, psyching herself up to stop Victoria from tearing the picture in half. That was the only reason she could possibly have for looking at one of Max’s pictures, right?

But that didn’t happen. In contrast to everything Max ever knew about Victoria, the blonde nodded slightly and opted to place, not drop, the photo back on the desk before walking away. Max blinked, not registering Taylor looking back and forth between the two of them she followed Victoria to their seats.

For the second time today, the only thing that came to Max was, what the actual fuck? Seriously, had she traveled to the Twilight Zone again? Was she still there since this morning? Max looked up and locked eyes with Kate who had noticed the odd behavior as well. Max shook her head slowly, utterly confused. In response, Kate lifted her drawing pad, shielded her face from the rest of the class, and mouthed “FUCK.”

“PFFFFT!!” Max slapped her hands over her mouth, trying to stop the rather loud laughter from exploding from her. Kate lowered her drawing pad, a wide smile on her face. Victoria simply rolled her eyes, making a show of turning her back to the two and ignoring them. And Mr. Jefferson, who entered the class a moment later, shot the room a curious look as he tried to figure out why his star pupil was turning red and shaking in her seat.

Just another not-so-average Thursday at Blackwell Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little slice of life chapter I'd always wanted to write. It also serves to officially introduce Juliet into the work, show off Steph (her chapter is still being worked on), and have another moment with Victoria, even if she didn't have a speaking part this time around. And now that I'm thinking about it, since I introduced Warren and Brooke in chapter 9, I'll have to update the tags with their names, too. Totally spaced that the first time around.


	13. Diner Dinner

Once the day's classes were finished, Max made her way to her dorm. Closing the door behind her, she put her messenger bag on her desk chair, faced her bed, and flopped face-first into it. What a day. There really wasn't anything too different about it when compared to any other day but she wound up speaking to and interacting with far more people than average for her. Plus, the encounters with Nathan and Victoria stressed her out, even if they didn't actually do anything. She needed some downtime, time to herself, time to recharge, all of it.

Max turned to her side and just stared at nothing, turning off her brain from too many rampant thoughts. She took deep breath and slowly let it out. And again. She allowed the ambient sounds of the dorm to wash over her. In the distance, a door opening and closing. The sounds of the hot water pipes clanking as someone used the bathroom sink. The chirping of a bird outside. The faint sounds of a tuning violin. Muted laughter from outside.

Kicking off her shoes, Max turned to lay on her back. She tensed her legs and feet, holding it there for several seconds, then relaxing as she breathed out. The faint violin tuning gave way to a soft melody she had heard Kate before but was no less relaxing. She smiled to herself. She wasn't the only one who appreciated Kate's music. Max recalled when she first got to Blackwell and started living at the dorms, she noticed Victoria would always crank her stereo up when Kate started playing. Max figured the classical music annoyed her. But now, nearly a month later, Victoria's stereo was silent. As was everyone else's. It was like every weekday between the hours of 4 and 5, the girls' dorm as a whole waited to hear a mini-performance from Kate before they started their evening. Max thought it was sweet.

Max glanced at her guitar. They'd never give her the same consideration but that's okay. She wasn't very good, not like Kate. At best, she just plucked along with her radio, sometimes inventing harmonies on the fly for popular songs. It was fun. One day, she might be brave enough to play a duet with Kate. She liked the idea of them playing together; she just didn't know what she could possibly play. Max didn't know anything about Mozart or Beethoven or any composer whose music included the word "opus," whatever that meant. Just her indie music, maybe a couple of Chloe's and Rachel's punk bands, and the occasional piece of pop.

She suddenly had a mental image of Kate in Chloe's punk clothes, playing Firewalk on her violin. Max grinned. That'd be quite the sight.

Max closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift away to the soft sounds of violin music. Her mind wandered, never staying on any one subject for too long before floating to another errant thought. Her parents. Homework. The lighthouse. Running and playing as a kid. Chloe. Rachel's bright laugh. Kate's warm smile. Victoria's confident smirk. Dana's hug. Juliet's lips.

A soft buzzing jarred Max back to wakefulness. She blinked the fog from her vision and thoughts as the buzzing repeated, finally identifying the noises as incoming messages on her phone. She reached over and unlocked it, noticing that it was now closer to 5. She totally zonked and didn't even realize it. At least it explained why she couldn't hear violin music any more.

Flipping to her messenger app, she saw Chloe was blowing up her phone.

 **Chloe**  
sup nerd. dinner?

 **Chloe**  
2 Whales. you in?

 **Chloe**  
nevermind. you're in. I'm recruiting you. no choice now.

 **Chloe**  
u better not be asleep 

**Chloe**  
that's it. I'm sending Rachel. hotness inbound 

Max grinned and started typing.

 **Max**  
I'm up! No need to send Rachel.

 **Chloe**  
too late. knock knock. 

Right on cue, there was a soft knock on her door a split second before it opened, Rachel letting herself in. "Hey Max! Ready to go?"

"Almost." Max sat up and quickly found her sneakers, putting them back on. While she did, her phone buzzed a few more times. She rolled her eyes. "Mind telling Chloe you're here and we're walking out the door right now?"

"Well, I could, but do you think that'll stop her?"

Max thought about it then shook her head. "No, probably not." She emptied most of the stuff from her messenger bag but kept the camera. "Okay, ready."

"Great!" Rachel grinned as she walked out with Max. "Ever since lunch, I've had a hankering for a real burger."

"I know what you mean," Max replied with her own smile.

Max and Rachel made their way to the parking lot, the blonde happily filling the silence with amusing anecdotes about her day, especially in Theater. "I know it's totally not likely but I think it'd be a lot of fun to try for a musical. Sadly, we just don't have the vocal talent to back it up. And plenty of people threatened to walk if we tried. I guess as self-conscious as everyone is about acting in front of people, it's infinitely worse when you ask them to sing."

Max nodded in understanding. "What kind of musical would you want to do?"

"Honestly, _Grease_. I know it sounds weird but there are already school adaptations for it that shorten the run time. We'd probably have to re-edit the songs and whatnot, put back a ton of stuff that's been censored, but I think it would've been a lot of fun."

"Maybe it still can be." When Rachel turned to look at her, Max couldn't help it. She blushed slightly. "I-I mean, maybe turn it from a musical into a play? You mentioned before how you guys altered The Tempest to get it to work and even changed the script a bit. Maybe you can make it into, I don't know, a comedy or something? Have 50s costumes in a modern setting? Like Blackwell? Um." She was rambling and she knew it. Max shook her head. "Sorry."

"No sorries!" Rachel placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "I like it. I think it's a great idea. Like, imagine me or Dana as Sandy and Nathan as Kenickie. Ooo! Can you imagine Nathan as a greaser? I think he'd look perfect!"

Max thought of Nathan in a leather jacket and that hairstyle and cracked a wide smile. "You're right!"

Rachel was grinning widely now. "Oh, and if we could rope Chloe into being Danny? Blue slicked back hair, leather jacket, her tattoo... All the ladies in the audience would absolutely swoon."

Max was doing her best not to swoon at the mental image herself. "And maybe Victoria as Betty?"

A loud laugh was Rachel's response. "Oh my God, that's perfect!"

"What's perfect?"

Both turned at the voice, realizing they had reached Blackwell's parking lot. And there was Chloe, leaning against her truck, cigarette in hand, smiling at the two. "Sounds like you two are enjoying each other," she added.

Max blushed at the phrasing and turned away. Rachel, in the meantime, walked straight up to Chloe and planted a kiss on her lips. "Hey, babe."

"Hey, yourself," was the reply. "So? Gonna let me in on the joke?"

Rachel swiped Chloe's cigarette and took a drag. She blew the smoke away from everyone. "Just picturing various people as the cast from _Grease_. Victoria as Betty, for example."

The smile that grew on Chloe's face was wide and full of mirth. "Damn!"

"I know, right? But I can't take credit. Max came up with the idea."

Chloe turned her attention to her shy friend who had shuffled a bit closer but was still keeping a bit of distance from the couple. She held out a fist. "Awesome job, Super Max!"

Max allowed herself a grin and bumped her fist to Chloe's. "Thanks."

"Okay, everyone pile in and let's grab some grub. And then tell me who else you've casted because this is just too funny to let go."

The three piled in Chloe’s truck, Rachel in the middle, and started their short journey to the Two Whales diner. Rachel was matching Blackwell theater students to possible roles in _Grease_ , often mimicking them in the process. She had both Max and Chloe laughing at her antics. “But yeah, you’d be a great Danny, with your awesome hair slicked back, leather jacket, your tat, everything.”

Chloe snorted. “Yeah but even ignoring the fact I’m not even a Blackwell student and pretty much had my fill of being center stage, I can’t sing for shit.”

“It’d be fine,” Rachel replied. “ _Grease_ re-imagined as a comedy play instead of a musical. No singing.”

“Huh.” Chloe thought about it for a second. “Would people even like that, though? Even I can’t help but think of that movie when I think of _Grease_. Dunno if people would be willing to give a songless version a try.”

Rachel shrugged. “Maybe, but I still like the idea. I’ll ask Steph to look into it a bit, see if it’s plausible.”

“And who would play Sandy, then? I’m assuming you?”

“Well, sure. I mean, it’d be pretty sweet to play your love interest on stage. At least the make-out scenes would be realistic.”

Chloe laughed. “If that happened, Mr. Keaton would kick us off the stage!”

Rachel giggled and leaned up to give Chloe a kiss on the cheek. “You’re right. And if you weren’t there, then I’d probably be Frenchy. Maybe instead cast Juliet as Danny and Dana as Sandy?”

“Dana, yes. Juliet?" She shrugged. "Dunno. What do you think, Max?”

Max failed to reply. She was silent as the mental image of Rachel and Chloe as the leads in _Grease_ played out in her mind. Watching the pair woo each other, dancing with each other, making out, all in that 50s fashion. As was often the case when she thought of the two together, she was struck with a pang of jealousy, followed swiftly by an even stronger wave of guilt. Confusingly enough, she wasn't sure who she was jealous of anymore. Or was she just jealous of them having a relationship while Max herself was alone? This only amplified her sense of guilt. It was stupid to get jealous of either of them when she was the one who fucked up. If only she were a better friend and stayed in contact, if she could only talk more now, had a smidgen more confidence, wasn't such a crappy sub, a shitty human being, a complete failure at--

"Max? You okay?"

A warm hand on her leg jolted her to awareness. Max turned to face Rachel and Chloe, seeing their concerned looks. "S-sorry, what?"

"Just wondering if you're okay, dude," Chloe replied. "You were kinda spacing out there."

"Oh. Um," was Max's rather clever response. There was no way on Dog's Green Earth she was going to tell them the truth. The problem was she was absolute crap at lying at the best of times but against the two of them here and now, in a confined place? She scrambled for something, anything, to say to deflect their attention. "I-- Um, when you mentioned Nathan, it-- it reminded me of something really weird that happened this morning." She squirmed in her seat. "He, uh, apologized to me. For yesterday." She shrugged. "I was trying to figure it out."

Max's gambit worked. Chloe immediately shifted to the new subject. "Nathan actually apologized for something? Was he high? Drunk? Held at gun-point?"

Rachel was just as surprised. "What did he do? And did this have to do with him waltzing around campus yesterday with that sign?"

Chloe blinked. "Say what now?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you. Yeah, all day yesterday, Nathan was wearing a sign, like a sandwich board deal, that said, 'I'm a brat, not a Dom,'" Rachel explained.

A loud laugh was Chloe's response. "Are you fucking serious?!"

"As a heart attack." Rachel grinned, glancing at Max. "Probably a good thing you don't have any classes with him on Wednesdays. The way he looked, everyone was giving him a ton of space."

"Please tell me you got some super embarrassing shots of him," Chloe chortled.

Rachel shook her head. "Didn't think of it, sorry. But I know no one else did, either. Word is the last time someone did take embarrassing pics of Nathan and spread them around, the next Vortex party was dry as a bone."

"Whoa, really?"

"Yup. No booze, no drugs, nothing. That's one of the reasons Nathan can get away with murder; everyone knows if he gets too pissed off, the parties tank."

Chloe shrugged. "Another reason to be happy I don't go to Blackhell anymore."

Conversation paused as Chloe pulled into the Two Whales parking lot. As it was right at dinner time, the place was moderately busy but being Wednesday meant it wasn't too terribly bad. At least the trio was able to get their usual booth in the corner, Chloe and Rachel on one side, Max on the other.

Rachel straightened Chloe's beanie, toying with the blue hair that poked from beneath the hat, before turning back to Max. "I think I took over the conversation a bit. You said Nathan apologized to you this morning? What for?"

"Oh. I guess you didn't hear." On one hand, the lack of rumors spread about her were pretty nice. On the other, that meant that she had to explain it. "Um, so yesterday when I went to get breakfast, someone started blasting music in the cafeteria. Some song about wanting to see your pussy or showing it off or something." Max squirmed and kept her gaze firmly on the table top. "I... It was humiliating. So I ran, like a coward." She swallowed. "I knew it was aimed at me but I didn't know who did it. Until today."

The next thing that Max knew, Rachel was next to her in the booth, wrapping her arm around Max's shoulders. Max found herself leaning into the hug, drawing some much needed comfort from the painful recollection.

Chloe, though, was confused. "Okay, I must be missing something. Why would that bother you so much?"

Max looked up, surprised. She opened her mouth but words failed her.

Fortunately, Rachel took up the conversation. "It has to do with something that happened to Max on Tuesday. Sorry, babe, I didn't tell you earlier because it's really sensitive and I didn't ask Max's permission." She turned back to Max, who ducked her head down again, and squeezed her shoulders. "If you want, I can give Chloe the basic rundown so she understands why Nathan was being a huge douche-canoe."

The rather unusual and unexpected insult made Max snort in amusement. She looked up, some of her anxiety having faded. "I'd like that,” she said quietly. “Thanks."

"For you, anytime." Rachel then stood and slid back to Chloe's side. She leaned in rather close and began speaking softly to her blue-haired girlfriend so no one else in the diner could overhear. Even if it was unlikely that they could be overheard in the noisy diner, Max appreciated the gesture.

When the waitress came, Max went ahead and ordered drinks for all three of them: Diet Coke for Rachel, Cherry Coke for Chloe, and iced tea for herself. She also asked for a few more minutes to browse the menu despite having memorized it long ago. She wanted to give her two friends a bit more time.

"Son of a bitch." Max focused back on Chloe, who was now looking at Max with concern, maybe a bit of anger. Not directed at her, thankfully. "Dude, you've gone through some shit recently." She shook her head. "Wish I coulda been there for you."

Max smiled slightly. "You’re here now, that’s all that’s important. At least I had Rachel and Kate that first day. And Dana yesterday, after the cafeteria thing."

"Dana, eh?" Rachel grinned. "I knew she was sweet on you."

Predictably, Max blushed. "Nothing like that. I think I nearly ran her over and she caught up to me. But she was nice and helped me get cleaned up and then sat next to me in class."

Rachel nodded. "Yup, sweet on you."

Before Max could protest, the waitress showed up with their drinks. The three placed orders for burgers and fries, except Chloe who got onion rings instead and a side of bacon. Once the waitress left, Chloe leaned forward. "So, did Prickscott seem sincere or do I need to visit him and give him an attitude adjustment?"

Max shook her head. "No, the apology sounded genuine. He looked like..." Max trailed off as she blinked, realizing something. "He, um, seemed kinda nervous, like he didn't want to be there but had to? But he wasn't mad. More like he wasn't sure what to do or how to say it." He reminded Max of herself. Weird. She shook her head. "I was too surprised to say anything and he left before I could try."

"And how're you holding up now?"

"Better." Max smiled. "Today was a good day. A bit overwhelming, actually, since I spoke to Kate and Warren and Juliet all in one day. And there was Victoria but we didn't talk. But she didn't insult me, either. Just looked at a picture I took and left without a word."

"Wait, Victoria approached you in Photography, looked at a photo you took, and didn't insult you?" Chloe blinked. "Are you sure it was Victoria and not a pod person?"

"No, definitely Victoria. But I know what you mean. Between her and Nathan this morning, I was convinced Rod Serling was going to show up and start narrating."

Rachel nodded. "I bet. And what did Juliet want?"

"Nothing really." Max thought back to their conversation. "She apparently heard about me asking about the D/S thing around the dorm and wanted to confirm it. She also agreed to talk to me about it later."

Chloe cocked her head to one side. "D/S thing?"

"Oh." Shit. Max didn't mean to let that slip so soon but, well, she'd been meaning to talk to Chloe about it eventually. May as well start now. She cleared her throat. "After what happened Tuesday, Miss Carter, the guidance counselor, gave me a special assignment. I have to talk to at least 9 girls in the dorm about Domme/sub stuff." She bit her lip. "She explained that I've been repressing myself so much and now, I really don't know me or what I want. This is to help me find out."

"Ah." Chloe nodded, her expression understanding. "And has it? Been helping, I mean."

"Um, I think so." Max shrugged. "After talking to Rachel and Victoria, it's been a bit easier to think about things like that. Understanding that it's an everyday thing for most everyone else. Talking about it is still embarrassing, though." As if to prove her own words, she ducked her head down. "I'm trying to be better about it."

Chloe reached out and took one of Max's hands in hers. "Max, dude, it's okay. I got your back. We," she indicated Rachel with her free hand, "got your back. You need help, you need to talk, we're here. We're always here for you, no bullshit."

For a long moment, Max just looked at Chloe, Rachel, who smiled at her, then back to Chloe. She squeezed Chloe's hand. "Thanks. So much." Her voice was rough with emotion but her smile was wide and grateful.

The arrival of their food interrupted any response. Rachel immediately began complimenting the food, its speedy arrival, how great it looked, successfully drawing the waitress' attention to give Max time to wipe her eyes with a napkin and compose herself. Conversation shifted to lighter topics: Rachel's theater antics, Chloe's close encounters with security at Tillamook High, the "fire" at the cafeteria, whether it was worth seeing _Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2_ or not, things like that. As Max stole an onion ring from Chloe's plate, a tiny part of her wondered what life would be like to always be with Chloe and Rachel, just like this. The rest of her was too busy laughing at Chloe's exaggerated indignation to pay it any mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arcadia Bay's hottest blue-haired punk makes her first actual appearance in the story! Nope, I didn't forget about her. She'll also pop up in the beginning of the next chapter, along with a short explanation of why she hasn't been more present.
> 
> Just a heads up: depression has been kicking my teeth in lately, preventing me from writing at all. It sucks. I still have three chapters written and ready to go, meaning I have a decent buffer, but I start getting nervous when I don't have at least five stored up, which compounds the issue. I'm hoping the weekend will give me the flexibility I need to find inspiration to get cranking once more.
> 
> On the plus side, chapters 14 thorough 16 are completely done, chapter 17 is halfway written and the other half is planned out. Still deciding on chapter 18's approach, though. I may wind up dropping what I have and starting from scratch.


	14. Christensen, Taylor

Once dinner was concluded (Rachel lamenting the fact there wasn't a single song from _Grease_ on the jukebox), the trio piled back into Chloe's truck and headed back to Blackwell. Chloe invited Max to hang out longer but she declined, explaining that she still had homework to finish and didn't want to fall behind. It was only partially true: the only homework she had was stuff assigned today. She had already completed everything due tomorrow so she was practically caught up. The real reason she declined was she didn't want to be a bother to Chloe and Rachel, be a fifth wheel, despite their reassurances that she never, ever was a bother.

Rachel surprised her, though, by hopping out of the truck as well when Chloe parked. "Sorry, babe, but Max reminded me of a serious essay I spaced earlier and that's gonna take some time."

Chloe huffed. "Well, shit." She scratched her scalp beneath her beanie. "I suppose if you two nerds are going to be all responsible and actually finish homework, I ought to do the same. Got some shit due tomorrow, too."

"This coming from another responsible nerd, punk though she may be? That's rich." Rachel smiled at Chloe's put-upon expression and stood on her tiptoes, giving Chloe a peck on the lips. "Blackwell wasn't a good fit for you but you're kicking so much ass at your new school. What's your GPA right now?"

Max watched, amazed, as Chloe's face became something closer to bashful.

"3.7." Chloe looked away. "You know I hate talking about that. Sounds like bragging."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. "You brag all the time."

"Yeah but usually about you or Max or my awesome fashion taste." She turned back. "Bragging about school is just plain conceited."

"Then I'll brag for you." Rachel grinned. "You are incredibly intelligent and über-talented and your outstanding scores are just a reflection of the truth. Right, Max?"

Max nodded. "Absolutely. You're super smart, Chloe. You did so well at school before while also being a rebel. Now, you're doing awesome at high school while being a badass punk." She grinned. "Best of both worlds."

Chloe felt her cheeks heat up with all the compliments and did the only thing she could: reach forward and yank Max's hood down over her face. She grinned at the squawk of surprise. "Whatever, goober." She rocked back on her heels. "But if the two of you are saying it, then I suppose there must be a kernel of truth there."

"Damn right." Rachel then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist. "We'll hang tomorrow, make up for lost time."

"Damn right," Chloe repeated with a grin. The two then shared a good night kiss. That kept going.

And going.

And going.

Max swallowed heavily. Some part of her brain was telling her to look away and give the two lovers some privacy but the rest of her, the much baser part of her, couldn't help but stare. She shifted from one foot to the other, feeling like a total perv but unable to stop. She was sure her face was as bright as the nearby street lamps.

Eventually, the pair separated, both their faces flushed with something other than embarrassment. Chloe couldn't keep the dopey look off her face. "Damn..."

Rachel gave Chloe one last peck. "Night, babe." She then walked to Max and curled an arm around her shoulders. "You gonna tell Chloe 'goodnight,' too?"

Max sucked in a shocked breath and immediately began choking on her own spit. Chloe's "Whoa, dude, take it easy," was equal parts concern and laughter. Max felt a set of hands pat her back as she coughed, her face now flushed with embarrassment instead of… not-embarrassment.

"Sorry about that, Max." Rachel's apology was sincere. "Didn't mean to make you choke, promise."

Max shook her head. "Not your--" A cough, "fault." Another cough, then Max cleared her throat. "Sorry."

"No sorries, Maxilicious. I know the sheer hotness I have is a bit much for the uninitiated." Chloe grinned. "You just gotta build up your tolerance, that's all."

Rachel smirked. "And here you were saying you didn't brag."

"Except about my awesome sex appeal."

"You said taste in fashion!"

"Which is part of my sex appeal, duh. How about this, instead." Chloe stepped forward and wrapped Max in a warm hug. "You can handle this much, I know."

She could. Max held Chloe close, trying, like always, to pour everything she felt for her childhood friend into the embrace. "Night, Chloe."

"Night, nerd." Chloe stepped back and gave a small salute. "Later."

After watching Chloe hop back into her truck and drive off, Rachel turned to Max. "So," she said in a knowing voice, "what's the real reason you didn't want to hang out tonight?"

Max's head snapped around, her eyes wide. "Wha-- What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Max, how long have we been friends now? I know you. Was it because you didn't want to ask Chloe your D/S questions like you did me?"

It actually wasn't but considering Max couldn’t lie to save her life, she latched onto the excuse like a drowning man to a life preserver. "Um, maybe?"

Rachel slung her arm around Max's shoulders and began walking with her back to the dorms. "I know you're nervous but I still think it'd be good for you to talk to her."

"Yeah," Max agreed, nodding her head. "I just wasn't ready tonight. But I will. Promise."

"Atta girl."

Rachel dropped off Max at her dorm and placed a kiss on her cheek, causing the brunette to blush. When Max blinked at her, question in her eyes, "Even shy hipsters deserve a goodnight kiss," was Rachel's reply. She winked and walked down the hall to her own room, leaving Max to stare after her dumbfounded.

Max's higher motor functions eventually rebooted, allowing her to unlock her door and step into her room. She closed the door behind her and sat down on her couch. Slowly, she brought a hand to her cheek, brushing her fingertips over the spot Rachel kissed. It was just an innocent kiss, she knew. Just Rachel being Rachel, all touchy and flirty. It was even rather tame, by Rachel standards. Especially when compared to that goodnight kiss with Chloe, for example.

But it felt so _good_. She bit her bottom lip. Her spine still tingled when she replayed the kiss in her mind. Max closed her eyes and gripped her knees while squeezing her thighs together. When was the last time anyone outside of family kissed her? Never. Which was pathetic, she knew. And it was even more pathetic that Rachel's chaste kiss was having such a strong effect on her. Was it because it was a kiss from Rachel? Or because it was a kiss from a Domme? Or maybe there was a part of Max that was so desperate for any kind of outside physical contact even remotely approaching sexual that this otherwise innocent kiss was driving her insane. Dog, she hoped not. 'Cause if so, then she'd hate to find out what would happen if she got kissed for real.

Max, again, replayed Chloe and Rachel's goodbye kiss in her mind and nearly groaned. She'd die. That's what would happen.

A knock on her door interrupted her inner turmoil. Max blinked. It didn't sound like a Rachel or Kate knock so who could it be? Max rose from the couch and spent a couple of seconds trying to force her face back to normal before opening the door.

Max blinked in surprise. It was Taylor. If anyone had given Max 20 chances to guess who was at her door, she still would've lost. Taylor was one of the last people Max would ever expect to knock on her door. Deface it, sure, but not knock. She cleared her throat. "Um, hey, Taylor."

"Hey, Max." Taylor's face was friendly, not scornful or mocking. It was a nice change of pace. "Do you have a minute?"

"Oh. Um, sure." Max stepped to one side and opened her door wide, an invitation. Taylor stepped inside and stopped in front of Max's bed.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen the inside of your room before." Taylor motioned towards Max's photo wall. "It's very you."

Max closed her door. "Very lame and hipster, you mean."

Taylor seemed to flinch slightly. "Y-- I mean, no. Not really. Except-- It's..." She sighed and shook her head. She turned away from the photo wall to look at Max. "Can I sit?" she asked, motioning towards the couch.

"Sure." Max sat on the edge of her bed, facing her guest.

Taylor took a deep breath as she sat, sliding her hands down the length of her thighs, her hands coming to rest on her knees. She breathed out slowly. "So, yesterday Courtney and I hung out with Victoria, like we always do. Talked about classes, started planning the next Vortex party, stuff like that. She seemed to be in a good mood. Courtney asked about it, thinking that something good must’ve happened recently. Maybe her talk with Nathan.” Taylor slid her hands along her thighs again, then drummed her fingers on her knees. “Victoria explained that you and her spoke before we got there and the conversation cleared up a couple of things.”

Taylor gave Max a searching look. “She then stated, in no uncertain terms, that you were now considered off-limits ‘until further notice.’” She used her fingers to make air quotes, then dropped her hands back in her lap.

Max just stared. She couldn't quite comprehend what Taylor had just said. She could make out the individual words but putting them all together made little sense. She blinked. "Victoria said what?"

“That was pretty much my reaction, too,” Taylor said with a small grin. “We asked why, of course. She only repeated that your conversation with her cleared up a couple of things and refused to give any details.” She shrugged. “I could tell it wasn’t a subject we could press, at least not right now. So, I figured I’d come to the source and ask you directly.”

An odd thought popped in Max’s head when she processed the request and she grinned. “Pulling a Juliet, I see.”

Taylor blinked in surprise, not expecting Max to crack a joke, before laughing. “Good one! But not quite. I’m just curious. Anything you tell me stays with me. I know better than to spread rumors about Victoria.” She tilted her head back, exposing her neck, and slid her finger across her throat.

Max gave the matter some thought. Taylor was Victoria’s friend so maybe it’d be okay to tell her. But then again, Victoria did warn her about telling anyone anything. Sure, she acted kind of nice to Max. Sorta. But it was still a warning nonetheless and Max wasn’t brave enough to tempt fate. That niceness could easily disappear, after all. And she’d much rather have to suffer Victoria’s niceness than her meanness.

With some reluctance, Max shook her head. “Sorry. She told me not to tell anyone what we discussed. And I’d rather not die.”

To Max’s mild surprise, Taylor didn’t look disappointed and didn’t try harder to get details. Instead, she simply nodded her head. “That’s kinda what I figured. Oh well, it was worth a shot.” She shot Max a grin. “Don’t be surprised if Courtney talks to you soon. She’s just as curious as I am.”

“She won’t get mad if I don’t tell her anything, will she?”

“What?” Taylor looked surprised at the suggestion. “No, no way, not even close. She might needle you a bit to get you to spill the beans but get mad? Nope.”

Max sighed in relief. “Okay.”

Taylor rubbed her hands down her thighs again before standing. “Well, I guess I should get going.”

“Wait.” Max shifted. “Um, since you’re here, I was wondering if maybe you could help me with a project?”

“Depends on what it is,” Taylor replied with a shrug.

Max reached over to her desk and grabbed her D/S study folder. “I have a special assignment from Miss Carter, the guidance counselor, that involves speaking to all the girls in the dorm about their thoughts and opinions on their Domme/sub lifestyle.” She opened the folder and withdrew the chart with everyone’s name listed. “I’ve been working through the list alphabetically by last name. And yesterday, I spoke to Victoria.” She flipped the list around so Taylor could see but didn’t hand it over. “I was thinking since you’re next on the list and you’re already here, maybe we could talk?”

Taylor sat back down. “Victoria mentioned you might be asking me and Courtney about some assignment but didn’t say what it was.” Taylor smiled. “So, the head disciplinarian at Blackwell gave you a special Domme/sub assignment. Whatever could have happened to cause this?”

Max looked away. The teasing tone of Taylor’s voice was like nails across a chalkboard. “I’m pretty sure you already know,” she mumbled, then cleared her throat. “If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I’d just rather not be mocked in my own room, thanks.”

“Hey, no, I didn’t mean it like that.” Taylor raised her hands in a placating manner, the humor falling off her face. “I was just joking around. Or trying to.”

Max turned back to look at Taylor. While she couldn’t be 100% certain, Taylor did seem sincere. Max sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. It’s just that...” Max trailed off, now uncertain if she should reveal so much about herself to someone who had yet to prove she wasn’t an enemy.

Taylor seemed to pick up the context clues, though. “It happened Tuesday and today’s only Thursday. It’s still fresh. Raw. And you don't know me.” She rubbed her legs again. “Sorry. I tend to joke with Victoria a bit, try to loosen her up some. I was trying to do that here with you. I’ll stop.”

“Thanks,” Max said. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that Taylor correctly guessed her reservations but if she was going to avoid the jokes about what happened Tuesday, Max would count it as a victory. “I appreciate it.”

“Sure.” Taylor pointed towards the folder in Max’s hand. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Max grabbed her notebook from the desk as well, opening it to the next available blank page. “Okay, so first, would you consider yourself a Domme or a sub?”

“Sub. Definitely.”

“And how long have you known that?”

“I’d say since middle school. 8th grade. That was the year I first met Victoria.”

“Oh?” This was news to Max. “You’ve known Victoria for over four years, then.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Did she help you find out you’re a sub or did you already know?”

“Good question.” Taylor tilted her head in thought. “I’d say a bit of both. I kind of figured it out beforehand but after meeting Victoria, everything solidified. She’s quite the Domme, you know.”

“Very true.” Max jotted down a couple of notes. “Um, when you say it solidified, does that mean she, uh, dommed you and that’s how you found out?”

Taylor shook her head. “Nothing like that. More like, she had such a powerful presence even in middle school that I had no choice but follow. She’s not my Domme. We’re not really compatible for that.”

“There can be compatibility problems for Dommes and subs?”

“Well, obviously.” Taylor blinked and backtracked. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sound like a bitch just now. Still trying to wrap my head around the idea that someone doesn’t know a lot of this stuff already. But yeah, not every Domme is suited for every type of sub. Like, take Victoria as an example. Can you see her with a sub that needs to be nurtured and cared for and needs a gentle touch?”

Max tried to do just that but even with Victoria’s recent niceness, she couldn’t picture it. “Not really.”

“Exactly. She’s nice to me and Courtney and Nathan but her brand of nice isn’t the same as yours or Kate’s. And if a sub needs that, Victoria would be a bad match.”

Max jotted down a couple more notes before looking back up. “What kind of sub are you, then? Or are you still trying to figure that out?”

“Mainly trying to figure it out, though in a very broad sense, I might be labeled a Princess. I like being pampered and being treated really well. I like looking and feeling pretty and adore compliments. But I don’t demand those things. I can’t, actually. It’s not in my nature.”

Something about what Taylor said seemed incongruous to Max. “Um, this is going to be a weird question but if you like those things so much, why hang out with Victoria? With such a powerful Domme, and a Queen, wouldn’t people naturally gravitate to her, compliment her, instead of you?”

“I hang out with her because we're close friends. If people navigate towards us and pays her compliments instead of me, well, she's pretty hot and a Domme, so that's natural. The good news is Victoria provides for my needs in that department so I'm not missing out on anything when we do hang out.”

Max blinked. “But you said she’s not your Domme.”

Taylor nodded. “Right. But she’s also my friend. She looks after me even though she’s not my Domme. Spa dates, trips to the salon, mall visits, all that sort of stuff hits all the right notes for me.”

Max fought back a sudden giggle as a thought popped in her head. Taylor noticed. “What?”

“Nothing," Max answered with a wave of her hand. "Bad joke.”

“Well, since I owe you for my bad joke earlier, lay it on me. I can take it.”

“Okay. Um, it’s just how you described your relationship with Victoria made me think she’s your Sugar Mama.”

Amazingly, Taylor laughed. “You’re not wrong. She kinda is, just without the implied sex that term has. Just don’t tell her that.”

Max shook her head. “Hell, no. I’m fond of living, thank you very much.”

Taylor tilted her head to one side. “So, what else?”

“Um.” Max glanced at her notes. “Sexual orientation?”

“Straight-ish.”

“Straight-ish?”

“Yup. I’m into guys but I do admire the female form. I mean, have you looked at us?” Taylor motioned to herself with both hands. “We’re hot.”

Max smiled at Taylor’s antics. “Some more than others,” she replied, mimicking the motion.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Max. I know of at least four people who’re interested. Three of which definitely have the hots for you.”

“Not possible.” Max shook her head. “There’s you, Victoria, Rachel, Dana, Juliet, Courtney, Brooke, and everyone else. I can’t compete. And besides,” she tapped the notebook in her hands, “I don’t know anything about anything. There’s no way anyone could want that.”

Despite knowing just how fundamentally wrong Max was, Taylor opted not to argue the point. Instead, she leaned forward, a sly smile on her face. “Y’know, if you’re looking for some hands-on instruction, you could always talk to Victoria. I’m sure she’d love to dominate you for a lesson or two. And I’m sure she’d give you a really good discount.”

Max blushed and turned away, Taylor’s words conjuring all the mental images she had last night back to the forefront. She instead focused on one part of what Taylor said. “Discount?”

“Well, sure. She’s practically a pro at this point, though she doesn’t technically have a license. No Chase would be caught dead sinking so low as to be a practicing professional Domme. But private lessons, tutoring? Sure, I can see it. And I’m sure she wouldn’t charge you an hourly rate. Probably a flat fee.”

“Wait, wait,” Max interrupted. “Dommes can charge for domming? Seriously?”

Taylor simply stared at Max. How could she not…? Then, she blinked. Took a deep breath. Ran her hands down her thighs again. Reorganized her thoughts and especially her approach. “Yes, Dommes can charge for their services. Subs, too.” She paused. “You’ve heard of D/S facilities, right?”

Max nodded.

“The Doms and subs that work there aren’t always volunteers. Some are. Some show up and offer their services and, if there’s a need, they can easily hop in, do their thing, and leave. Charity work, in a way.

“Most others are professionals. Maybe they’re not all full-time but they are all licensed to work and they do get paid. Sometimes, it’s Dom that needs to connect with a sub and there’s no one in his life at the moment to fill that need. He can check into a facility, get matched with a sub, and scratch that itch. Subs, too.” Taylor pointed to herself. “Like, say Victoria’s out of the country for two weeks, in Paris doing her photography thing. I start getting really antsy and I need a Dom. And no one else at Blackwell fits the bill. I can do the same: check into a facility, get matched with an appropriate Dom, get that need fulfilled.”

Whoa. Max cleared her throat. How stupid could she be to never consider people could get paid to dom and sub? “Has that happened before?”

“A couple of times. Usually, I can keep a handle on it pretty well but I know me and I know my urges. Sometimes the pressure builds too fast and I need an outlet pretty quick. Otherwise...”

Max blinked. “Otherwise…?”

Taylor sighed. “Otherwise, things like Tuesday can happen.”

“Oh.” Max shuddered. “Oh,” she repeated, looking down. “Um, that makes sense,” she whispered.

“Sorry, Max. I didn’t want to bring it up again but it’s true. My reaction to denial isn’t the same as yours but it can get pretty intense. I’d rather not have to deal with it so sometimes, services are needed.”

Max nodded in understanding, though she knew something that Taylor didn’t: her denial was five years in the making. Would a visit to a facility in those five years been of any help? Maybe. Maybe not. There’s just no way of knowing now. It’s not like she could time travel and find out. She sighed and jotted down some more notes. “At those facilities, it’s not just sex, right? Because domming or subbing doesn’t necessarily equate to sex?”

“Yeah.” Taylor suddenly grinned. “But the sex is great. I mean, it’s not like I can find any Dom here that can pound like a jackhammer and keep it up for very long. No stamina at all.”

Max burst out laughing, the somber mood effectively shattered. “TMI! TMI!” She waved her hands in mock surrender.

Taylor giggled and slapped her hands on her knees. “This is kinda fun. Talking to you like this, even about sub stuff, it’s been really cool. You’re cool, too, Max. Sorry we never did this before.”

“Yeah, well...”

Taylor nodded, her face a mix of knowing and contrite. “I know. That’s on me. I should’ve known better than letting myself get caught up in Victoria’s vibe. I’ll do my best to make up for it, though. I know Victoria’s trying, too.”

“How so?”

“Photography today. She admired your picture without making fun of it. No backhanded compliments, either.” Taylor shrugged. “Whatever you talked about, it loosened her up. Been a while since I’ve seen her like this.”

“Like what?”

“Happy.”

“Um, I think you have a different definition of happy than me.”

“Absolutely right.” Taylor smiled. “But we’ve been friends for a while now. I know her moods and the way she thinks. Trust me, she’s happy.”

Max shrugged. Taylor just said that Victoria's brand of nice wasn't the same as Max's so her happy was probably different, too. “If you say so.”

Taylor rubbed her legs once more then stood. “I gotta get back, finish up some stuff for tomorrow. Was that all you needed?”

“Yeah.” Max stood as well. “Thanks, Taylor. You’re right, this was rather fun.”

“Definitely. You oughta come by the Vortex table at lunch, hang out more.” At Max’s bug-eyed expression, she giggled. “Just messing with you. Not your scene, I get that. But maybe after classes, we could hang some more.”

“I’d like that.” And it was true. Now that Taylor had revealed a kinder side to herself, Max could see them chatting every once in a while. Maybe they could swap photography stories or something.

Taylor opened Max’s door and with a “Later, Max,” left the room.

 

* * *

 

Taylor made her way down the hall and stopped in front of Courtney’s door. She knocked twice, paused, then knocked three more times. When she received no response from her signal, she withdrew Courtney’s room key from her pocket and let herself inside, making sure the door closed gently behind her.

There on the couch were Victoria and Courtney, the latter wrapped up in a blanket, curled against Victoria’s side. The blonde Domme had one arm around Courtney’s shoulders as she held the brunette close. Every now and then, Victoria would brush a hand over Courtney’s head in a calming fashion. Soft classical music played from Victoria’s phone where it rested on the arm of the couch. Neither gave Taylor any mind, which was normal for their aftercare.

Taylor made her way inside and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Victoria. She reached over to the coffee table and snagged a chocolate from the open box that lay there and popped it in her mouth, not really caring about the specific flavor since she liked them all. She simply waited for one or the other to acknowledge her.

This time, Courtney was the first to do so. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked lethargically, finally registering a third presence in her room. She worked her mouth open and closed a couple of times before she managed a quiet, “Hey, T.”

“Hey, Court,” was the gentle reply. “How’re you feeling?”

Courtney closed her eyes and nodded slowly. “Good. So good.” She burrowed in her blanket a bit more. “Relaxed.”

“You were so good tonight.” Victoria’s voice was quiet as well. “If you want to sleep, go right ahead. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Victoria gave Courtney a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Is the lighting okay? Do you want me to put on a movie for you?”

“Mmm.” Without opening her eyes, Courtney smiled, content. “If it’s okay, _Cinderella_?”

“Certainly.” Victoria made no move to extract herself from her position, instead glancing at Taylor, a question in her eyes. Taylor nodded and stood, making her way to Courtney’s entertainment center and popping said movie in the Blu-Ray player. “There. All set.”

“Thank you, Mistress.”

“You’re welcome, Court.”

The movie started soon after, the volume barely audible but perfect for the quiet of the room. This was Courtney’s preferred method of winding down: warmth, comfort, the occasional chocolate, and a nice, heart-warming movie playing in the background. Sometimes, she was awake enough to actually watch the movie but usually, she simply faded in and out, easing down from the high from her scene. It wasn’t the way Taylor liked her aftercare but it certainly wasn’t unpleasant and she knew Victoria liked it as well, even if she’d never actually admit enjoying Disney movies.

Taylor pulled up Courtney’s desk chair next to the couch and sat down at Victoria’s side. She waited until the birds woke Cinderella from her sleep before leaning in close. “Good news,” Taylor reported softly. “Max refused to spill the beans.”

Victoria nodded slightly, as to not disturb Courtney. “Good to hear. Anything else?”

“She asked me questions about being a sub, just like you said she would. Nothing invasive.” Taylor fought the urge to snort in amusement. “You were so right: she doesn’t really know anything. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so clueless about the D/S lifestyle as her.”

“I have a feeling that Max lived a rather sheltered life before Blackwell,” Victoria explained. “She’s rather repressed, though I don’t know if that’s self-inflicted or a product of her previous environment. Probably both.” She flicked her eyes in Taylor’s direction. “Impressions?”

Taylor thought for a moment. “If you threw her on your bed, she’d probably be screaming your name in ecstasy in under five minutes.” She grinned widely as a bit of color came to Victoria’s cheeks.

“Not what I meant, T.”

“I know. But when else will I have the perfect opportunity to make you blush?”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “I can always cancel our spa trip, you know.”

“You like them too much, though.”

“Very true,” Victoria sighed in resignation.

The pair watched the mice and birds help Cinderella bathe and get dressed before Taylor spoke again. “I think Max would be a good match for you, even if I don’t know what kind of sub she is. Even she doesn't know that yet. But I do know she won’t be like Courtney so you might have to go easy on her at first.”

Victoria nodded again. What Taylor said matched her own assessment but it was good to get confirmation. And she trusted Taylor implicitly.

“There is one thing, though,” Taylor stated. She waited for Victoria to flick her eyes back to her before continuing. “My gut tells me that Max is on a lot of people’s gaydar. I have a feeling if you want her, even if only a taste, you might want to act now.”

“Too risky,” was Victoria’s quiet reply. “You didn’t see her when she was in my room. She was fucking terrified of me. She actually thought I’d whip her unconscious just for staring at my photos. All because I’m a Domme and she thought I hated her.” She tapped her fingers against the arm rest, the only outward display of her frustration. She ceased when Courtney made a small noise. “Shh, it’s okay. Still right here. I’m not going anywhere.” She waited for Courtney to calm before continuing in a soft voice. “Max has no reason to trust me yet. Even if I were to show my interest, it wouldn’t help. The fact that others, like Rachel or Kate, have a head start is just something I’ll deal with. And if she winds up being unattainable?” She shrugged her free shoulder. “Nothing to do but cope and move on.”

If only it were that easy. Taylor had only seen Victoria this interested in someone once before. The fact that she lost her chance to act on that interest was a severe blow to her pride and self-esteem. It had taken a while for Victoria to recover fully and had come out of it a bit more jaded, a bit more armored. At least this time, Victoria had a much stronger network of friends.

Taylor reached out and placed her hand on top of Victoria’s. "I think if you approached her with a lighter touch, you might have a shot. Y'know, be gentler."

Victoria nearly snorted. "There's nothing about me that's gentle and you know it, T."

"Mmm, not true, Mistress."

Victoria blinked and turned towards her sub nestled against her side. "And why do you say that, Court?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

Courtney blinked her eyes open a moment, doing her best to hold Victoria's gaze. "You're so gentle with me." She closed her eyes and hummed. "Mistress is so firm when I need it, and so gentle afterwards."

Taylor squeezed Victoria's hand again, drawing her attention. "She's right, you know. You're such a strong Domme and during a scene, you radiate this aura of power, but afterwards, you're kind and caring and considerate. It's your nature to be soft when your sub needs it." Taylor shrugged. "Maybe that's the way to think of it. You're not changing who you are, just changing the timing of your approach. Let a bit of caring-Victoria come out prior to a scene instead of only after."

Taylor fell silent as she watched Victoria consider her words. Opting to give Victoria time to think, Taylor turned towards the screen, watching the future princess take care of chores for her step-family. Several minutes passed before Taylor felt her own hand being gently squeezed.

Victoria was looking in Taylor’s direction, a small but warm smile on her face. It was a smile that no one else ever got to see. “Good idea. Thanks, Sweet-T.”

“You’re always welcome, Victoria.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it doesn't come up in the course of the story, in this AU, Chloe didn't remain a high school dropout. After getting expelled from Blackwell, Chloe took the rest of that year off. Eventually, though, she was either convinced or convinced herself (likely both) to get herself registered at nearby Tillamook High. A fresh start allowed her to rediscover her love of learning, which is why she's doing so well now.
> 
> Because she missed a year, Chloe is going to graduate at the same time as Max despite being a year older. Rachel technically graduated Blackwell last year but opted to stick around and join Blackwell's extended seniors program, so she and Chloe could leave Arcadia Bay together.
> 
> On a personal note, this past weekend was a good one. I was able to work through my depression and finish chapters 17 and 18. I'm now in the process of planning out Max's weekend (timeline-wise, I'm talking about Friday evening through Sunday) and who's getting interviewed when. At the moment, Kate, Steph, Dana, and Chloe are all vying for my attention so we'll see who pops up next.


	15. Laundry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this way earlier than normal but what the hell, it's Thanksgiving! It's a bit risky for me to post this now as I only have three completed chapters as a buffer instead of the five I'm more comfortable with but I really wanted to share something today.

> Taylor Christensen. Sub. The first sub I spoke to since starting this project, actually. Which makes me wonder if subs are in the minority here at Blackwell since it seems like there are way more Dommes than subs in the dorm. But then again, that could just be me.
> 
> The one thing that stood out for me the entire time I was speaking to Taylor was how comfortable she is with being a sub. She’s totally not me: she’s confident, knows what she is and what she wants, is friends with Victoria, is in the Vortex club, and is outgoing. It’s like if there was a scale of subness, she’d be on one end while I’d fall right off the other.
> 
> She didn’t seem certain of the proper word for what kind of sub she is but labeled herself a Princess. Judging by the word, I thought she’d be like Victoria, who calls herself a Queen. There were differences, though, and not just her being a sub instead of a Domme. She said she likes to be pampered and being treated well, feeling pretty and being complimented. But what’s really interesting is she said she gets those things from Victoria even though Victoria’s not her Domme. Not compatible, she said, something I'd never considered before. For Taylor, things like spa trips, visits to the salon, etc. seem to be enough for her.
> 
> Must be nice having a rich friend. But I can’t be too critical about it. I mean, if I had the money, wouldn’t I want to treat my friends to nice things, too?
> 
> Something else she said: she’s used D/S facilities before to fulfill her sub needs if Victoria isn’t available. She used what happened to me on Tuesday as an example of the consequences of not getting that need filled. It makes me wonder if, in the five years I was gone, if I visited a facility, would I be so messed up now? No way of knowing, really. I know I never considered it before. Ever. I mean, I knew they existed but for me, it’s like Subway: I know they're out there but I never have a desire to visit.
> 
> I also never knew that Dommes and subs can charge for their services. It does make perfect sense; it just never occurred to me until Taylor mentioned it. Makes me wonder just how much other obvious stuff is out there that I’m so clueless about. But that's what this study assignment is for, right? Me learning about the D/S world to help me figure out myself. And I think I can say with some certainty that I'm probably not a sub like Taylor. I've never felt any urges to be pampered or taken to the spa or things like that. I'm not pretty. I'm not comfortable with expensive things like clothing or jewelry. The only thing I can remember I splurged on was my guitar and even that was bought at a pawn shop.
> 
> So what kind of sub am I? Still trying to figure that out but maybe, like Rachel, I can find out what I'm not and go from there. I'll work on compatibility later.

It was Friday morning and Max was at her laptop, clicking "Send" on her latest report while printing a copy for her journal. She had woken up early to shower and take care of what she called "hair maintenance," and, like before, opted to complete an assignment while waiting for the lotion she applied earlier to do its thing. No forgetting clothes this time, though. She had set a second alarm to go off at 9:45 AM just in case she got lost in thought or buried herself too deep in reading again.

Taking a hold of the printed sheet, she once again folded it in half and stuck it in the pages of her journal. Max was reconsidering not re-writing her reports since the loose sheets were starting to take up quite a bit of space. Maybe she could start a second journal, this one focused more on her sub discoveries and her thoughts on everything she's found out so far? There was quite a bit more than what she included in her reports, after all. Stuff not important enough for submission to Miss Carter but important to herself. Stuff she'd never, ever let anyone else read.

Hmm. Yeah, the more she thought about it, the more Max liked the idea. She grabbed her phone and opened her memo app to remind herself to pick up another journal just for that purpose. She also added depilatory cream to the list as she was starting to run low. Anything else?

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. Glancing down and confirming she was attired in nothing but air, Max called out, "Just a sec!" and quickly threw her sleep shirt and shorts back on. She then opened her door and smiled at her morning visitor. "Rachel! Come in."

"Morning, sunshine." Clad in an over-sized t-shirt, sandals, and a towel around her hair, it was apparent that Rachel had just come from the showers. She stepped forward and game Max a warm hug. "How're you feeling?"

Max blushed slightly as it became apparent that Rachel wasn't wearing a bra yet, either. When they parted, she did her best to look Rachel in the eyes and nowhere else. "Pretty well, I think. Just got finished with my D/S report this morning from my conversation with Taylor last night and sent it off."

"She decided to help, then?"

"Yeah," Max nodded. "She stopped by to fish for info about Victoria and stuck around to answer my questions."

"Oh?" Rachel sat on the couch, intrigued. "What kind of info?"

Crap. Now Max got Rachel curious. "Um, Taylor said that Victoria told her and Courtney that I was 'off-limits' for now and was trying to figure out why." She turned away. "Please don't ask why. I'm not allowed to explain." She cringed slightly, knowing how impossible it was to refuse Rachel anything. If she pressed Max for info...

Thankfully, Rachel read Max's body language and saw how uncomfortable the subject was making her, so she didn't push. "No worries, Max. It’s okay. I won't ask."

Max let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Besides," Rachel said with a grin, "I think the reason is obvious. There could only be one, after all."

"It is? There is?"

"Yup. She's sweet on you."

Max blinked. "You said that about Dana yesterday, too."

"That's because there are a bunch of people who are."

Shaking her head at Rachel's joke, Max smiled. "I really doubt that." She shifted in her seat and changed the subject. "So what brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Right! I was hoping I could I bother you for your lotion. I thought I had a spare bottle but apparently I'm out."

"Oh, sure!" Max grabbed the bottle from her shower caddie and handed it over. "Here you go."

"Awesome. You're a life saver."

Rachel took the bottle and started applying the lotion to her knee and shin. "What's got you busy today?"

"Um, not much. Classes." Max watched as Rachel began applying the lotion to her rather shapely calf. She swallowed. "Phys Ed today."

"Coach still has you guys running laps?" Rachel leaned down to work her ankle and foot.

"Uh..." Max lost her ability to speak when she realized she had a clear view down the front of Rachel's loose t-shirt.

"Hopefully, she does something different today," Rachel continued, not bothered by Max's lack of reply. She sat back up and finished with her thigh. "She's only got you once a week; she ought to make the most of it."

Max licked her lips. "...yeah." As Rachel started on her other leg, it suddenly occurred to Max that she was staring at her friend like a fucking perv and tore her gaze away. Don't look, don't look, don't look. "Um, I think she mentioned some actual activity for this week but I can't remember what." She started counting the tiny motes of dust crossing the sunbeam in her room.

"That's good to hear." Rachel, of course, was well aware of what she was doing but opted to refrain from any verbal teasing. Though she really wasn't an exhibitionist, she did find a small thrill in showing off teasing hints of herself, especially to Max. Hopefully, it would also help the shy hipster loosen up a bit. She quickly finished with her elbows, arms, and hands before closing the top. "All done. Thanks."

Max turned back and took the bottle from Rachel. She was certain her face was still flushed but did her best to ignore it, going for a smile instead. "Anything else?"

"Actually, yes, but I see it's right here." Rachel gave her pants and shirt, both of which were neatly folded on one side of the couch, a couple of pats. "I needed a pair of jeans since I spaced my laundry and ran out of clean stuff." She stood and grabbed a hold of her clothes. "I'll talk to--"

"Wait!"

Rachel paused as Max shot from the bed, a panicked expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Y-You can't take those. They're, um, not clean."

"Really?" Rachel took a closer look at the clothing in her hands, slightly puzzled. “They look fine to me.”

“I-- I mean, they’re, um…” Max gulped. “I, uh, wanted-- needed! Needed to get them dry cleaned.”

Rachel blinked, confused what was making Max so anxious. She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t be silly. I’m sure they’re fine.” She brought the clothes to her nose and gave them a big sniff. "Smells clean to me," she said with a grin. The grin fell away when she saw Max pale noticeably. "Max? What's wrong?"

"Hhhhhnnnnnnn…." was the strained response as Max tried to force words around a throat and jaw that had suddenly clamped shut.

"Whoa, hold on." Rachel dropped the clothes and quickly stepped over to Max, taking hold of the brunette's hands. "Breathe, Max. Take a deep breath with me." Rachel drew in a deep breath, willing Max to do the same. The shallow gasp she got in return did little to reassure her. "That's a start. Try again. Deep breath." She repeated her own breath. This time, Max got closer to imitating her. "Good. And out." Exhale. "Again, in." Deep breath. "And out." Exhale.

Rachel repeated the exercise until Max calmed, though she was still rather pale. "Take it easy. Go ahead and have a seat. Right behind you." She kept a hand on Max's shoulder just in case she suddenly lost her balance. Once she was satisfied that Max was seated properly and not about to faint, Rachel joined her on the bed. She wasn't sure what caused Max to nearly have a panic attack but it couldn't have been just about her jeans. She took one of Max's hands in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'm here for you, Max. Whatever it is."

Max was stuck. Part of her wanted to curl into a ball but Rachel was holding her hand. Not hard, just a light touch like always, and Max was sure she could easily pull away but at the same time, she really, really didn't want to. Just like she could never say no to Rachel, she never, ever wanted to reject her, either. Max was nowhere near brave enough to ever initiate physical contact like this with Rachel but when it was offered, she latched onto it with a tenacity that would make a barnacle envious. Plus, there was the simple fact that when she explained what was wrong, she'd never be able to touch her like this again. Max was far too much of a coward to let go first. So instead, she tried to take in a much comfort as possible before Rachel hated her forever.

Raising her gaze, Max looked at Rachel's face, taking in her concern. Max swallowed. She really didn't want to explain but Rachel had always been a good friend. She deserved the truth. "I..." Max cleared her throat and tried again. "Um, so, Tuesday. You loaned me your clothes. I, uh, wore them all day.” She closed her eyes. “I mean, of course I wore them all day. Dog, they’re clothes, stupid.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.

Rachel blinked at the self-recrimination. It was as if Max didn’t realize she had said that part aloud.

Max shook her head and continued. “After my interview with you, I went straight back to my room.” Max opened her eyes and glanced at Rachel before looking away. “I was gonna start writing up my report. Then, um. I got your, uh, message. Of Chloe. Picture, I mean. Picture of Chloe.”

She fell silent again. Rachel waited a moment but realized that Max was reluctant to continue. She gave her hand another gentle squeeze. “You got Chloe’s picture...” she prompted.

“And…” Max swallowed. “And she looked so sexy and that interview was still in my head and I just couldn't help myself. I..." Max turned beet red. "I..."

Rachel decided to fill in the blanks and spare Max the embarrassment. "You got turned on?"

Max nodded.

"Did you touch yourself?"

A smaller nod.

"And you had an orgasm?"

The nod was tiny.

Rachel squeezed Max's hand and kept her voice gentle. "Was it good?"

It took several moments but eventually Max responded with a whispered, "So good. First time in months. Better than ever before."

Holy shit, months?! Rachel forced the disbelief from her face. Now wasn't the time. Instead, she kept her voice gentle. "Then what's wrong?"

"I was still wearing your clothes!" Rachel's eyes widened at the unexpected shout. Max didn't notice. "I just got so stupidly turned on I didn't even think about it and afterwards, when I finally noticed, I felt so dirty and filthy and stupid and I ruined your clothes and I promised I'd wash them twice and get them dry cleaned and even then they wouldn't be good enough so I promise I'll buy you new stuff, Rachel, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't hate me, sorry I'm sorry..." Max's outburst fizzled as she pulled her hand free and curled into a ball. She sniffed, overwhelmed. She ruined everything. Like always. She waited for the shouts, the slaps, the door to slam as Rachel stormed out. She deserved nothing less.

They never came. Instead, Max was shocked to feel Rachel pull closer instead of away. She felt arms wrap around her body instead of slaps and punches. And she heard Rachel’s soft, beautiful voice instead of screams of outrage.

"No sorries, Max. You didn't do anything wrong. I promise you didn't. It's okay."

"...no it's--" Max hiccuped, unable to finish the sentence.

Rachel continued. "You're allowed to get turned on, Max. That's no crime. You're allowed to masturbate and get off. Especially to hot, sexy pics of Chloe. I mean, I do."

Max snorted a watery laugh. "But she's your girlfriend. You're allowed."

"And I sent that photo to you. That gave you permission." Rachel gave Max a small smile. "That night, I told Chloe what I did. You know what she said?"

"...what?"

"'You'll have to make sure her nose didn't bust open like one of those anime characters.'" Rachel grinned at Max's soft chuckle. "She was 100% fine with it, too."

The humor fell off of Max's face. "I was still wrong," she whispered. "I ruined your clothes."

"Max, the only thing 'wrong' here is you believing that you've ruined anything. It's actually kind of hot to know that something we talked about and a picture of Chloe got you so hot and bothered you couldn't wait to shove your hands down your pants."

Max blinked. That can't be right. And blinked again. She just couldn't believe it. "Um."

Rachel, reading Max's disbelief, decided to shift tactics. She stood from the bed, grabbing a box of tissues from Max's desk and handed it to her, who took them with a grateful nod. "Do you trust me?"

Max blew her nose and wiped at her eyes. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Max nodded, her face confused. "Of course I do."

Rachel grinned. "Then do me a favor and close your eyes until I tell you. Okay?"

"Um. O-Okay." With a small sniff, Max did so.

She wasn't sure what Rachel was doing but Max could hear the sound of cloth (clothing?) being dropped on the couch. A drawer opening and closing. And again. More rustling. Her cabinet door being opened. The sounds of clothing being put on. Then finally, "Okay, open your eyes."

Max did so and nearly gasped. There was Rachel, standing in the middle of her room, arms wide as she showed off her outfit. Max's outfit. Rachel was wearing Max's clothes. Her jeans and her Jane shirt. Though they were nearly identical in size, Rachel did have more curves than Max, which meant that the jeans weren't just skinny, they were practically sprayed on. The shirt, too, strained a bit more in the chest department. Max mouth went dry as she noticed that Rachel still wasn't wearing a bra.

Rachel turned around and showed off her backside, the generic jeans now looking haute couture framing her ass. She gave her rump a slap and turned back around. She topped off the mini show by hefting her breasts with both hands. Her smiled widened as she watched her friend's expression. Damn, Max had such a cute face when she was mesmerized. "So, looking at me wearing your clothes, are you indifferent or intrigued?"

Max couldn't help it. She gave Rachel another once-over. Fuck, she was beautiful. And something about her wearing her clothes was just... "I... You-- It's, um. Yes?" she replied, completely forgetting the question.

Rachel nodded. Close enough. "Now, what if, later today, I told you I got so damn turned on by something Chloe sent me that I couldn't even wait to take off these threads before working myself to an earth-shattering orgasm. Would you feel disgusted and grossed out or would the thought be, let’s just say, even more intriguing?"

Max said nothing. Instead, she pictured Rachel doing exactly that. No bra. In her own room. On her bed. No, maybe in Max's room. On Max's couch. Pants unzipped, pleasuring herself. Max's eyes lost a bit of focus as Chloe entered the mental picture. Wearing that slave collar. The two would start on each other and... Max licked her lips. Dog, what an image.

Rachel eased herself back onto Max's bed, drawing the brunette's attention from whatever fantasy she was losing herself in. She reached out a hand and waited for Max to take hold. She gave it a comforting squeeze. "You see, Max? It doesn't have to be scary or guilt-ridden or bad. You didn't ruin anything and you absolutely did nothing wrong. I'd say it's human nature but everyone is different. You're different. And that's a good thing." She gently ran her thumb across the back of Max's hand. "Remember, you're still figuring things out. There's no shame in learning who you are and what you like. That's the whole point of your assignment. That's the whole point of life, really. Figuring out what you like and, so long as it's not harming anyone, going for it.

"It's okay to get turned on. It's okay to feel horny and touch yourself, to fantasize about whomever and whatever. But if you ever do feel like it's bad or dirty or wrong, I want you to call me. Please. Text me. Visit me in person. Or Chloe. We're your friends and we'll be glad to help." Rachel smiled and reached forward, cupping Max's cheek. Her heart swelled when Max closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. She brushed Max's cheek with her thumb, her voice gentle. "Okay?"

Max nodded slightly. "Okay," was her whispered reply.

The tender moment was sadly interrupted seconds later by an alarm going off. Max jerked her head in the direction of her desk, suddenly remembering what was happening. "Crap." On one hand, yay for the alarm reminding her class is starting soon. On the other hand, boo for ruining a quiet moment with Rachel.

Considering Rachel's put out expression, she apparently agreed. "Late alarm?"

"Kinda. It's actually to remind myself to put on clothes if I was still naked." Max blushed. "Um, that's what happened Tuesday. I was waiting for my lotion to soak in and lost track of time."

"Gotcha." Rachel stood. "Then I won't keep you. Go ahead and get dressed and I'll see you after classes, okay?"

"Wait." Max motioned with her hand. "Um, aren't you gonna get changed?"

"Why?" Rachel shot Max a grin. "I'm already wearing clothes."

"B-But..." Max was at an utter loss for words. Was Rachel really going to go out in public in her lame-ass clothes?

Rachel gathered up the jeans and shirt she loaned to Max and tucked them under her arm. She then picked up a distinctly sexy pair of black lace panties from the couch and twirled them around her finger. When Max's eyes widened at the implication, Rachel brought a finger to her lips. "Our little secret."

And with that, Rachel sauntered out of the room, leaving Max with yet another mental image that she could never, ever forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally way more angsty than it is now. I opted to tone it way down as not only did it serve no actual purpose, I also couldn't justify the tonal shift from this chapter to the next. And if you're thinking to yourself, "Man, Rachel really should have said [insert advice here] instead," you're probably correct. Remember, these are 18 and 19 year olds. They're not perfect. Any the advice they provide might not be the best, might be phrased wrong, might even be completely incorrect. But they do try.
> 
> Next in the pipeline:  
> chapter 16 - Physical Education (featuring Victoria)  
> chapter 17 - Tea Date With Kate  
> chapter 18 - More Than a Passing Fancy (featuring Steph)
> 
> In the works: a friendly group dinner, interview with Chloe, interview with Kate, interview with Dana, interview with Steph. And somewhere in the midst of all that, Max has to do homework. But along the way, Kate reveals her kink, Dana shares a secret, Steph has an unexpected affect on Max, and maybe the American Rust makes an appearance.


	16. Physical Education

Max’s encounter with Rachel unfortunately meant there wasn’t enough time for her to get cleaned up, dressed, and make it to the cafeteria to grab a bite before class. So, once again, breakfast was the morning’s casualty. Again, she promised herself to go to town and restock on granola bars and Pop-Tarts. There was no way she was going to have a repeat of Wednesday’s fainting episode.

AP English came and went with no issues. Well, as long as she didn’t count the pop quiz that started the class. Still, all of her previous studying paid off, resulting in Max earning a high B, which gave her a boost for the rest of class. The downside was thanks to the quiz and all the intense studying that followed, there wasn’t a lot of time to chat with Kate after class. Which was a major bummer since she wasn’t able to beg Kate to rescue her from second period. It had yet to work but that never stopped Max from trying. Plus, Kate’s bemused expression to her pleas was kind of cute.

2nd period: Physical Education. One of Max's least liked classes, seconded only by Algebra. She didn't really care for most of the physical sports and lessons taught there because all they did was emphasize her admittedly clumsy nature. It was hard to feel accomplished in a class where she had yet to score a goal point homerun thing. Still, Algebra was always, always worse. At least occasionally, the Phys Ed coach would teach the class actually useful things, like first aid. Algebra would forever remain algebra.

The other reason she didn't care for the class was none of her friends were present, unlike in AP English, Photography, or Chemistry. There weren't really any friendly faces, either, like in Media or History. Victoria was there but she didn’t quite classify as a “friendly face” yet, despite what Taylor had mentioned last night. Max didn't quite believe that Victoria's newfound niceness was going to extend to this class. At least in photography, Max had her camera to hide behind and her photos to act as personal shields, never mind she had no skill and her photos were never good enough. But here in gym? Victoria was leagues ahead of most everyone else, especially Max herself, meaning Victoria’s superiority was always front and center and Max’s inferiority was constantly highlighted.

After their opening calisthenics, designed to loosen up the muscles and get everyone's blood pumping (or make anyone who recently ate really regret it), Coach Ferdinand led the class outside to the oval track. On the way there, Max noticed what looked like large hale bales with targets strapped to them in the field inside the track. Was the class going to be shooting something, then?

"Okay, class, something a bit different today. How many of you have ever shot a bow before?"

Max blinked. Okay, so they were going to shoot something.

The coach led the class through the basics, explaining the differences between four kinds of bows (longbow, recurve, compound, and crossbow). She explained why they were using recurves instead of the other types (lower cost than compounds, safer than crossbows, easier learning curve than longbows). She showed everyone how to string their bow, how to nock an arrow, how to hold both, where to look and aim. She explained the differences in arrowheads and no, they weren't using broadhead tips, we're shooting at hay targets not bison, thanks for asking, Logan.

Then, Coach Ferdinand said the sentence that Max was dreading: "Okay, class, everyone pair up. One bow per two students. Odd man out shoots with me."

Max sighed. She hated when they had to get paired up. With an odd number of students in class, she'd always be left out. It was like she was back in grade school, getting picked last for kickball. At least this time, she'd be shooting with the coach and not playing fifth wheel for a paired team. She began walking towards Coach Ferdinand, already knowing the inevitable outcome, when a warm hand clasped her on the shoulder. Surprised, she turned and saw Victoria standing behind her. She looked... less mad? That was good, right? Max forced a smile that she hoped looked friendly. "Um, hey, Victoria."

The girl in question cleared her throat. "You're partnering with me, today." She then seemed to catch herself. "Unless you already had a partner in mind?"

Max blinked. "Um, no. Just the coach?" She pointed to the teacher in question.

Victoria shook her head. "Not this time. Come on, let's get our gear." She walked to Coach Ferdinand and claimed their bow and quiver, Max following dutifully behind, doing her best to ignore some of the looks she was getting by existing within 20 feet of Victoria.

The pair eventually set up at the furthest target, Victoria expertly stringing the bow while Max stood by with the quiver. Max was impressed. Victoria didn't seem to strain at all. "Have you done this before?"

"Yes, actually." Victoria took her stance and lifted the bow in position, pulling the bowstring back a couple of times to test the strength. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that you strung the bow so quickly, like you know what you're doing. Some of the others haven't even done that yet." Max pointed down the row, where a few teams were still struggling. "If it was just me, I know I'd have trouble."

"You just need to build up those arm muscles of yours. Or make them in the first place." She lowered the bow as she waited for the coach to give the signal that they could begin. After a moment, she let out a slow breath. "When I was younger," she began in a quiet voice that wouldn’t carry to the next team, "anything I showed even the slightest interest in, my parents made certain I was tutored on it. I wasn't allowed to drop it or give up until I was deemed 'good.' Only then was I allowed to go on to the next hobby or interest." She shrugged slightly. "Archery was one of those interests."

A whistle blew and the class began firing arrows at a sporadic pace. Some arrows hit while quite a few others missed entirely. Max lifted the quiver in her hands, allowing Victoria to select an arrow. "That’s… good, right? To have exposure to a wide variety of things? No wonder you seem to be so good at everything."

Victoria let her arrow fly which struck to the left of center, in the 5 ring. She frowned. "Yes, except when all that tutoring destroyed any fun I might have had with the subject in question." She took another arrow and nocked it. "Tennis, archery, swimming, it's hard to just enjoy yourself when you're required to get a first place medal in it." This time, the arrow struck to the right but in the 7 ring.

Max winced slightly. While she liked discovering more about Victoria, she hated dredging up painful memories. "Sorry."

Victoria huffed out a breath. "And what did I tell you before about that?" She turned to face Max again. "Don't be sorry; be relaxed." She took another arrow from the quiver and pointed at Max with the fletching. "You're not breaking into my room now, Caulfield. No reason to get tense."

Max nodded. Victoria had a point. "Okay." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Another deep breath and the tension in her shoulders loosened a bit. When she opened her eyes, she saw Victoria was simply looking at her with an almost-warm expression?

"Good girl."

Max flushed with the unexpected praise. She turned away from Victoria, staring towards the target. As she watched, Victoria's arrow flew and struck the 9 circle, just below the bullseye. She cleared her throat. "Nice shot."

Victoria snorted. "Not my best. I blame the bow. It certainly isn't in the best of shape." Victoria smirked. "But thanks."

Max shifted from one foot to the other, uncertain what to do or say now. This was going too well, almost pleasant. And with Victoria of all people! But it also didn't feel as strange as yesterday's encounter in Photography. Maybe Taylor was right and Victoria really was trying?

It was nice.

Victoria held out the bow towards Max. "Your turn, hipster. Let's see you beat my score."

Max shook her head as she and Victoria swapped equipment. "Not happening. I'll be lucky to even hit the hay bale."

"If you do miss, at least keep the arrows to the front of the target. It's easier to find them that way." At Max's questioning look, Victoria explained. "Coach always makes the students retrieve the missed arrows no matter how far they're shot."

Max recalled some of the others' missed shots sailing past the targets quite a distance away and blanched. "Are you cereal?"

"Quite. So don't miss. I don't want to miss lunch on account of your poor aim."

"R-Right." Max cleared her throat and adjusted her stance, trying to mimic Victoria's. She nocked an arrow and pulled back the bowstring, straining slightly as muscles in her back she didn't know existed suddenly woke up and began working. She took aim, as best she could, and let go.

Unsurprisingly, she missed the bullseye. Surprisingly, she struck the target, though not any of the circles. It was better than she anticipated, though.

Victoria must have agreed since she nodded her head. "Not bad for a first shot. You actually hit the target. Half the class couldn't even do that."

"Thanks."

"Tell me, though, are you left-handed or right-handed?"

"Um, I'm actually ambidextrous?"

Victoria nodded. "That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"The fact that you're mirroring my stance rather than imitating it." Victoria motioned towards Max with her hand, the latter realizing for the first time she was facing Victoria and had shot with her left. Victoria made a circle motion with her finger. "Try it the other way, see if you have better control."

"Okay." Max turned as she swapped hands and nocked another arrow. Again, she drew back the bowstring, took aim, and let the arrow fly. This time, the arrow struck 1 circle, below the center.

"A bit better but I do see a slight problem: you're using too much of your fingers to hold the bowstring. Try drawing it back with just your finger tips. When you're ready to fire, the string should feel like it's rolling off the tips."

Max nodded and tried again. This time, it was much harder to pull the bowstring back and she said as much.

"It takes a lot of time for this to feel natural, time which we don't have for a simple Phys Ed lesson. Just try it and see what happens."

This time, the arrow missed completely but fortunately, fell short of the hay bale rather than long. Max shook her head. "Dammit."

"Here." Victoria stuck her hand out towards Max who gave her the bow. "Watch." Victoria adjusted her stance and pulled the bowstring back and held steady. "Look at my feet and legs. This is how you want to stand." She waited for Max to nod before relaxing her hold on the string. "Now, watch the way I pull the bowstring back."

She did so, Max paying close attention to her arms and fingers. Victoria repeated the motion a few times, Max shifting her attention from the right arm to the left and back. "There's a lot more going on than just yanking the string," she noted.

"Correct." Victoria relaxed her hold again. "If we had more time or if you really wanted to learn, we could spend an entire lesson on just grip and stance. As it is, this crash course will have to do. Now, place your hand between my shoulder blades."

Max blinked at the unusual request. Victoria wanted Max to touch her? Willingly? She turned slightly red at the thought. "Uh, what?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Shoulder blades aren't tits, Caulfield. No reason to get shy."

"Um." Was blushing just going to be her natural state when talking to Victoria from now on? Probably. "Okay." Max stepped around Victoria and placed her hand as directed.

"Now, feel what happens when I draw the bow."

As Victoria did precisely that, Max was amazed to feel what was happening underneath her hand. She didn't know how many muscles were in a human's upper back but she was sure Victoria was using all of them. Victoria repeated the motion a couple of times, Max feeling the muscles shift, the shoulder blades come together. "Wow." It was certainly impressive. Feeling Victoria's muscles beneath her hand was... nice? Was this what "rippling muscles" meant? Max's mind started wandering, trying to picture what Victoria must look like when she worked out. Imagining what her back looked like while pumping weights. What she must look like without a shirt on. Wanting to slide her hand underneath Victoria's shirt to feel the blonde's back directly...

The sensation of Victoria turning jerked Max from her own thoughts. She drew her hand back, barely stopping herself from hiding it behind her back. "What's wrong?" She was sure her face was flushed, certain Victoria could read every errant thought running through her brain like a ticker tape across her forehead. She held her breath and waited for the inevitable cutting insult and mockery.

Instead, Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Nothing," she stated simply. She held out the bow. "One more try."

"Oh." Max nodded. "O-Okay. Right. Um." She took the bow, nocked an arrow to the string and set her stance. She nearly leapt out of her shoes when she felt a hand between her shoulder blades.

"Now, just like I showed you. Finger tips, draw back, squeeze."

Max was too overwhelmed to even nod this time. She drew back the bowstring, her arms quivering, her aim unsteady.

Victoria noticed immediately. "Not good. Relax your grip and lower the bow." She waited for Max to comply. "Now, breathe in. Good. Out. Relax. In, nice and slow. And out, relax."

It was just like in Victoria's room yesterday, just like in Max's room this morning. Max repeated the breathing exercises and felt herself calm down. She nodded in gratitude and glanced over her shoulder.

Victoria's expression was that almost-warm from before. "Good girl."

This time, the flush Max felt on her face didn't distract her. She turned back to the target and lifted the bow, arrow still nocked. She drew back the string and held steady. She felt the hand on her upper back but didn't pay attention to it. Instead, Max focused on the target. She took a deep breath, held it for a second, then let the arrow fly.

Thock. 7 circle, above center.

Max turned to face Victoria, who looked rather proud. “Good shot, Caulfield.”

Max grinned. “Thanks for helping. I never would’ve shot that well on my own.” She shuffled her feet, suddenly uncertain. “Um. This is kinda fun?”

Victoria turned her head away, looking towards the target instead. “Your company isn’t as distasteful as I imagined.” She flicked her eyes back to Max, who was struck with the realization that this was the first time she’d ever seen Victoria looking the slightest bit uncertain.

It dawned on Max that Victoria really was trying. Her comment wasn’t harsh or dismissive or condescending like it could be. She was joking but didn’t know how well her joke would be received. She was being nice, just with a Victoria-flavored touch. Max really appreciated it, more than she could put into words, so she didn't bother trying. Instead, she did her best to match Victoria’s tone. “And here I was thinking precisely the same thing about you.”

It was subtle but Victoria’s face relaxed. Almost warm. Again. Max blinked. She was going to have to come up with a new adjective for that look. Vic-happy, maybe?

A whistle interrupted Max's musing. “Cease fire!" Coach Ferdinand paused a moment as everyone turned to face her. "Okay, unstring your bows and bring them here. Then, start collecting your arrows.” She ignored the collective groan of the students. “You shot 'em, you fetch 'em. And you’re not dismissed until I get all of them back. 20 per quiver if you didn't bother counting earlier.”

“Here.” Victoria took the bow from Max. “I’ll take care of the bow. If you’re not careful, it could spring out of your hands and cause an injury. You start collecting our shots.”

"Sure."

With that, Max turned and walked towards their target, pleased to realize that unlike some teams, they didn't fire too many arrows, meaning there weren't a lot to gather. She plucked her missed shot from the ground on the way to the target, wiped off the dirt, and placed it into the quiver. As she pulled the remaining six arrows from the target, she thought about how cool it'd be if Phys Ed was like this the rest of the semester: no mockery, no super-clumsiness, just a lesson and an almost-nice Victoria keeping her company. Then, she shook her head. Doubtful approaching nigh-impossible, but it was a pleasant thought.

 

* * *

 

The only slight disadvantage to using the furthest target was Victoria was last returning her bow. Still, the line moved briskly enough. She handed over the bow and string and was about to return to Max when the coach called out to her.

"Victoria?"

She turned back. "Yes, Coach Ferdinand?"

The coach nodded past Victoria towards their station. "Good job with Max. I noticed you tutoring her and your technique was excellent so I opted against interrupting."

Victoria nodded. "Thanks."

"Quite different for you to volunteer to assist Max, though," Coach Ferdinand continued, "instead of me requesting it. What prompted the change of heart?"

Fucking Christ on a pogo stick. This was the downside to adopting Taylor's suggestion of being gentler with Max: the questions. Victoria knew her atypical behavior was going to attract unwanted attention. She just didn't think the faculty would be the first to call her out on it. She needed a way to deflect the attention but without doing something incredibly stupid, like publicly lashing out at Max to try and play it off. She knew from painful first-hand experience that approach would backfire badly.

Victoria suddenly had an idea. She crossed her arms below her chest and made sure the rest of the class was at her back. "I'm certain I have no idea what you mean, Coach." She then raised her hand and motioned towards her throat, as if pointing to a necklace that wasn't actually present.

Coach Ferdinand looked puzzled at the non-answer and was about to press further when she saw Max approach, quiver in hand. Her eyes navigated towards Max's throat and finally noticed the collar that the shy brunette now wore. Her eyes widened slightly.

Max, of course, didn't notice. "Here, Coach. I finally got them all. It took a bit since a couple of them were buried pretty deep." She turned to Victoria, a slight smile on her face. "Which I'm sure was intentional, somehow."

Victoria snorted softly. "If shot correctly, that's what happens to arrows. But at least I won't be late for lunch." She turned back towards their teacher. Judging by the comprehension on the coach's face, her little gambit worked. "Anything else?"

"Not at all." Coach Ferdinand directed her attention to the class as a whole. "Everyone who's finished, head back to the gym and get changed. Congrats, you're dismissed early. The rest of you, keep pulling those arrows. And that includes you, Logan. You missed, you find it."

As Victoria started back towards the gym, knowing full well Max would be following right behind, she considered. Starting a rumor with the student body that Max was off-limits simply wouldn't work. The truth was too readily accessible and Max herself would likely protest once she found out. Teachers, on the other hand, had their own mill. Planting the seed that Max was claimed, false as it was, would only benefit Victoria since it would likely head off any potential questions the faculty might put forth before they're even asked.

She glanced back at Max, noticing the shy hipster was lost in thought and didn't realize she was being watched. Victoria nodded to herself. She was a Chase. She saw what she wanted and she went for it with complete and utter confidence, even if she had no earthly idea what she was doing. And God help her, she wanted this shy hipster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to any archery enthusiasts out there who are screaming and pulling out their hair at the inaccuracies in this chapter. I'm drawing on a memory that's likely older than half of the readers out there. But yes, I really experienced this, a 1-day lesson in archery that, to me, was a ton of fun. Google helped fill in some blanks.
> 
> Chapter 19 has been giving me fits but not for the usual reasons. This time, it's because I have too many ideas rather than too few. For example, I've had written at least 2k words of dialogue between Juliet and Dana before realizing it was completely extraneous. There's a lot of useful headcanon info there, though, so I didn't trash it, merely scrapped it. Some of it may or may not come up later.


	17. Tea Date

The rest of the day went fairly typically for Max. Lunch followed Phys Ed and thanks to being dismissed a few minutes early, Max was able to get her food and a decent seat before the rest of the crowd showed up. This proved to be a blessing as Kate, Stella, and Alyssa all joined her. Conversation was light and fun, with Max bringing up her _Grease_ discussion from the previous evening and sharing it with the table. All three found the comparisons hysterical with Alyssa topping things off with a request for Kate to sketch some related cartoons. She agreed to give it a shot.

Music Lab followed lunch and with the limited number of students taking the elective, it meant a lot of one-on-one lessons with Mr. Musselwhite, one of two music teachers on campus (the other being the marching band director). Max thought Mr. Musselwhite was pretty cool. He had apparently been the lead singer and guitarist for a band back in his hometown. It never went anywhere but it did fuel his desire to spread his love of music to as many people as possible. Teaching was a natural progression for him which he approached with the same passion that Max had for photography. It was inspiring.

Another nice thing about the class was she shared it with Kate. Between her on violin, Max on guitar, and one other student, Riley, who played piano, Mr. Musselwhite said that they had the beginnings of a perfect band and said they should seriously consider doing something together. Max had her doubts as all three had vastly different styles: Riley played jazz, Kate had classical, and Max had her indie music and whatever else she felt like. Still, she did want to play with Kate at some point so Max didn't dismiss the idea out of hand.

The last class of the day was Cultural Anthropology. As befitting a D/S training facility like Blackwell, the class had a strong emphasis on Dom/sub cultures throughout world history. Max never really paid too close attention in the class before, connected as it was to her World History class, something she only viewed as a necessary evil. But after Tuesday's events, she was determined to pay more attention in class, thinking it might help her on her personal journey. It couldn't hurt, at the very least. Even if she couldn't quite understand how studying ancient Egyptian D/S culture was relevant to her now.

The sound of the bell marked the end of the week's classes marked and the official beginning of the weekend. More immediately important, though, was today meant a long-overdue tea date with Kate. It had been a while and with everything going on the past few days, Max had forgotten about it until Kate asked during lunch. Max had eagerly agreed.

Max caught up with Kate in the courtyard, the blonde standing near the fountain. She gave Max a small wave. "Hey, Max."

"Hey, yourself. Man, I'm so looking forward to this all of a sudden."

The pair began walking back to the dorms. "Missed it that much?"

"A bit. More than a bit." Max scratched the back of her neck, looking a bit sheepish. "I feel a bit bad, though. I'd forgotten all about our get-togethers until you mentioned it at lunch. Sorry."

"No reason to apologize," Kate shook her head. "You've had a rather busy and intense week and a lot more has been added to your plate recently. I didn't think about it, either, until it occurred to me at lunch that today's Friday and it'd be a great opportunity to spend some time together."

"Thanks. I really appreciate the invite."

"Of course. I love hanging out with you. And who can say 'no' to a nice cup of tea?"

"No one civilized, that's for sure," Max said with a chuckle.

When they got back to the dorms, Max veered off to her room to drop her stuff off first. Max placed her messenger bag on her bed and was about to leave when she paused, reconsidered, then grabbed her D/S study notebook, folder, and camera, just in case. She left her room and made her way to Kate's door, which was open a crack. She knocked and gently pushed it open. "It's me."

"Come in," came Kate's reply. "I'm still setting everything up."

Max saw Kate was moving several books from the coffee table. "Need any help?"

"I have the books but if you could get the table cloth, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure thing." Max knelt at one of the dressers and opened the bottom drawer, revealing Kate's small collection of neatly folded table cloths. "Any preference?"

"Your pick."

"Okay." Max thumbed through the pile and selected a tan-ish one with various fall-colored leaves printed across its surface. She eased it from the middle of the stack, careful not to jumble the others into a messy pile. Closing the drawer, she stood, folded the cloth in half and, seeing the coffee table had been completely cleared, snapped the cloth forward and let it drape across the table.

Kate turned from the cabinet, a tray holding a small tea set in hand. "Good choice. Because of autumn?"

"Yeah." Max adjusted the cloth a bit to make certain it was straight. "It's my favorite season: cooler than the summer but not as cold as the winter. Perfect hoodie weather," Max said with a grin. "And with all the leaves changing color, it's so beautiful. It's easier to find and snap photos of animals, too, as they're out foraging or migrating."

"Plus, you love Halloween."

"That, too."

Kate set the tray on the table and began arranging things. "We never celebrated Halloween in my house, not the way everyone else did. No trick-or-treating or costumes, though father did make sure my sisters and I got plenty of candy at the church functions we went to. It always looked like fun, though."

"It was. Chloe and I would have a blast trick-or-treating when we were younger." Max smiled at the memories. "We'd always promise to make the candy last but it never did. We had a lot of fun trading the candy back and forth to one another. Her caramels for my candy corn. We'd always share the full-sized candy bars, though."

"Hmm. Maybe I'll get a bag of candy and hand some out in the dorm," said Kate as she poured some bottled water into her electric kettle.

"Extra candy for anyone in a costume!"

Kate giggled. "That's a fun idea." She set the bottle aside. "Any requests this time?"

Max shook her head. "Not really. I like chamomile but it's too early for that. Surprise me."

"I have a new blend I've been meaning to try." Kate stood and went to her cabinet, rummaging through her supply. "A rose tea. Loaded with vitamin C and helps soothe anxiety and nerves. It sounded intriguing."

"Anything that helps anxiety is always a plus for me."

Kate nodded and sat down. She spooned some of the tea into the pot's infuser. "I'll also brew a cup of regular black tea to act as a palette cleanser, just in case we decide to try others."

"Good idea."

With a push of a button, the electric kettle started doing its thing. "So, while we wait for the water to heat, is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Kate motioned towards the notebook and folder that Max had set aside. "How are things going with the study?"

"Really well. Much better than I expected, actually. Miss Carter told me I had to speak to 75% of the girls in the dorm, which comes to nine out of twelve. I've been learning so much and in such a short amount of time, too. I expected some to shoot me down, like Victoria, but she actually agreed to help. Her and Taylor both."

"That's good news! You are right, though. I wouldn't have expected them to help, either. I wonder what changed their minds?"

Max shifted in her seat. "Um, I think I have an idea, but I'm kind of not allowed to say?"

Kate looked at Max's apologetic expression and shrugged. "If you can't, I'm certainly not going to pressure you. The important thing is that they helped."

"Thanks." Max opened the folder and withdrew her chart. "So far, I've spoken with Rachel, Alyssa, Sarah, Victoria, and Taylor. Alyssa wanted to help but felt she couldn't. Sarah wouldn't give me the time of day but I expected that." She handed the list to Kate. "Here. Take a look; I trust you."

Kate took the list and read. "Alphabetical by last name. Smart." She smiled. "A Queen?"

Max grinned. "I know, right?"

"And yet, so fitting for her. Friends with a Princess, too." She looked up. "Did you plan this?" Kate asked with a teasing voice.

"Pure coincidence, but if Courtney winds up calling herself something like a Prince or a Page or something, I think I'll laugh myself sick."

Kate handed the list back. "Alyssa told me a while back she was ace but I didn't know that she hasn't figured out if she's a Domme or sub."

"It caught me off-guard, too, but it also got me thinking: if I didn't feel, um, urges, would I ever had figured out I was a sub?"

"That's actually a really good question." The electric kettle buzzed and Kate leaned forward in her seat. She poured most of the water into the tea pot, then added the infuser. "We'll let this steep for a couple of minutes." She then poured the remainder of the hot water into the single tea cup and added the black tea bag. "Same with this."

Kate sat back. "Your question is similar to one I asked myself a couple of years ago: if I don't feel Domme urges, am I really a Domme? In my case, I found out the answer was definitively a yes."

"Does this have to do with what you mentioned in class yesterday?"

"Yes."

Max was burning with curiosity but she tamped down her eagerness. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Kate smiled. "I appreciate you saying that but I don't mind. Besides, maybe hearing about it might help you understand yourself a bit, too." Her face took on a bit of a faraway look. "Back when I was younger, between 12 and 13 years old, my mom bought a D/S home kit. She tested me and told me I was a sub. I had no reason to doubt it. She was my mom, right? And she was a sub, too. Runs in the family, she said.

"It wasn't until a few years later, during my Sweet Sixteen, actually, that I found out the truth. Or at least, found reason to question my mother's findings. I was spending the night over at a friend's house. A birthday slumber party. Friends, snacks, movies, staying up too late, just like you'd expect." Kate grinned. "That was the first time I had ever seen a PG-13 movie. I thought it was so scandalous but someone pointed out that we weren't 13 any more and didn't need 'parental guidance.'"

Max smiled as well. She knew all about that "breaking the rules" feeling. "What movie was it?"

" _Sherlock Holmes_ , the Robert Downey Jr. one. It was a lot of fun." Kate leaned forward towards the table again, this time dunking the tea bag in the cup a couple of times before removing it and placing it on a saucer. "I think that was also the first time I started questioning my sexuality. A couple of my friends were debating who was hotter, Sherlock or Watson. Meanwhile, I kept thinking about Irene Adler."

Max watched Kate lift the lid from the pot to check on the rose tea. "If it makes you feel better, I noticed Irene myself when I saw that movie."

Kate gave Max a smile. "She was certainly attractive, wasn't she? I think the tea's ready. Milk or cream isn't recommended for this blend but would you like sugar?"

"I'll try it as-is first."

"Good idea." Kate started pouring herself and Max a cup. "Later that evening, my friend broke out a D/S home testing kit as a joke. We all had a good laugh since I'd been tested before and we all knew I was a sub. But we were all having fun and someone, I forget who, made a joke that maybe I was secretly a Domme and wouldn't that be funny? So, I took the test."

Max accepted the cup and saucer from Kate. "And it showed you were a Domme?"

"Yes." Kate took her own cup but didn't drink. "It was surprising but everyone thought it was part of the joke. Maybe it was a prank test, maybe the strip was compromised. Maybe the stuff we'd been eating interfered with the test somehow." She blew gently over the rim, cooling the tea slightly before taking a careful sip.

Max did likewise. "Mmm, that's not bad. Light. Almost sweet."

"I agree. Smooth, too. I'm going to add a bit of sugar, though. Want any?"

"I'll stick to it like this for now. Maybe the next cup."

Kate proceeded to add a lump of sugar to her cup, stirring it in. She took another sip and nodded. "Better." She placed the spoon back on the table. "So everyone at the party was having a good laugh, even me, even though the girl that brought me the test was swearing that she didn't tamper with it at all. We didn't think about it any further, just went on to the next movie or game.

"The next morning, though, she took me aside and told me, again, that she didn't tamper with the test. She swore on my Bible that she didn't." Kate looked at Max. "I'm still not sure why she was so insistent but that's when I started taking it seriously. Even though most of my friends weren't as religious as me, they all respected my beliefs. For her to do that? She meant it."

Both Max and Kate fell silent as they drank their tea, each lost in thought. Eventually, Max spoke. "Did you ask you mom about it?"

"Not right away." Kate gave Max an almost wistful smile. "Sherlock must've been fresh on my mind because I decided to try to figure it out on my own. Later that week, I took a short trip to the pharmacy and used my birthday money to buy as many different home tests as I could afford. My thinking was even if my friend didn't tamper with the test, maybe it was compromised in some way. So, I'd take these other tests, see that they all showed I was a sub, then tell my friend that the test she gave me got spoiled or corrupted somehow.

"That, of course, wasn't what happened. Saturday morning, while my mom went out to take care of some errands and I was left home to watch after my sisters, I took every test: one urine test, three tongue tests, and one blood test that was like a blood sugar test for diabetes. All of them came back positive for being a Domme. I was shocked. That's six tests that showed I was a Domme. What happened? Did I change over the past few years, changing from a sub to a Domme? Was that even possible?"

Kate took another sip of her tea. "It never occurred to me, not once, that my mom could've lied to me all those years ago. She was my mom. She took care of me, she loved me. I could only assume that I had changed, somehow. It was kind of exciting. So, when my mom got home, I told her about it."

There was a long pause as Kate fell silent. Max could tell by her expression that what happened next was far from good.

"I have never seen my mother get that angry before," Kate continued softly. "Ever. She yelled at me, called me names, said that there was only one Dom in our household and it was my father, her husband, the man of the house, just as it should be. I was lying, I was wrong, the tests were wrong. She accused me of trying to usurp her position as the lady of the house. She grabbed the tests I brought with me to show her and threw them in my face. She grabbed my arm and yelled some more.

"I was terrified. It was like a complete stranger was screaming at me. Or maybe something had possessed my mom and had taken control. I didn't know what to do or what to say. She started yanking my arm and raised the other like she was going to hit me. I don't know what would've happened if my father hadn't showed up at that moment."

Kate took a deep breath and let it out. She took another sip. "My father is a pastor. He's a good man, a great father, and a role model of forgiveness and acceptance. He taught me everything I know about being a good Christian. He loves me and my sisters deeply. He loves my mother, his wife, so much. He was, and is, so compassionate." She took one last swallow, finishing off her tea, and set the cup and saucer aside. "He is also a Dom. And as I found out that day, he can be a fiercely powerful one.

"He had come home from his pastoral duties and caught my mother about to slap me. The next thing I knew, he was standing right there, my mother's wrist in his grip. He didn't yell, didn't scream. He didn't say anything, actually. At first. But my mother stopped. She let me go. She wasn't looking at me anymore. She was completely focused on my father.

"In retrospect, I can say my mother was petrified. She had, as my father explained much later, overstepped her bounds. Severely. Not necessarily as a wife or a mother but as a sub. And she knew it. She tried to say something, maybe to apologize, maybe to explain herself but the second she opened her mouth, father ordered her to kneel and be silent. She obeyed. Instantly. He then gave me a handkerchief to dry my tears and asked me to explain what happened. I did."

Kate paused again, taking a moment to take a hold of the cup of black tea prepared earlier. She took a sip, cleared her throat, and drank again. "I have never seen my father get mad before. The worst my sisters and I have seen from him was disappointment, and that was bad enough. But the look on my father's face after I finished explaining what happened…" She shuddered. "It was so far beyond furious that even I started apologizing.

"I think that snapped him back to reality, seeing me so scared. He closed his eyes and just breathed, calming himself. He apologized for upsetting me. He thanked me for explaining myself and assured me, Domme or sub, he loved me very much. He apologized that this happened in the first place and assured me it would never happen again."

Max's eyes widened in alarm. That sounded awfully… permanent. Kate caught her expression and immediately waved her hands. "Nothing like that! Oh, no, that sounded so wrong. Like something you'd read in a crime novel or something."

"Sorry." Max shook her head. "I didn't mean to react like that. It's just that, well, like you said, it sounds like something in a crime novel." Specifically, a murder mystery, though Max didn't voice that part.

"It's okay. No need to apologize. It never occurred to me before how disturbing that might sound to someone else. But that's what he said. And, it turns out, he was absolutely correct. Just not for that reason.

"After father told mother to clean up the small mess she made with the tests, he ordered her to remain in their bedroom the rest of the day. She obeyed. Not much else happened that I'm aware of. But the next day, when we were all going to church, mother was wearing a slave collar. No one commented on it, not me or my sisters, nor anyone else at church, though it was impossible not to notice. After service, my father explained that he and mother were going on a couple's retreat for two weeks. Very short notice but he trusted me to take care of my sisters and trusted them to listen to and obey me. I was a Domme, after all," she said with a wry grin. "And he asked his sister, my aunt, to stop in daily to check on things, make sure we were doing all right."

"That's a lot of responsibility for a 16 year old, though, isn't it?"

Kate blinked in confusion before understanding crossed her features. "Oh, that's right. You're an only child." She smiled. "I've been helping look after my sisters for quite a while. They're not that much younger than me but as the eldest, it was my duty. Looking after them for two weeks, while it might've been a bit longer than I was used to, was certainly manageable. And we'd always gotten along, which helps a lot."

Max nodded. "Okay."

"When they returned," Kate continued, "mother was different. Calmer, not prone to outbursts. Humble. Like she was before Lynn, my youngest sister, was born. I hadn't realized how much she had changed from when I was much younger until she changed back. There were differences, though. From that day forth, she was never without a slave collar and was rarely seen without her ankle and wrist cuffs on, even in public. She also walked with a limp for nearly a month. Even after what happened, I was worried, thinking she had fallen and hurt herself. But when I asked my father about it…" Kate looked away and turned a bit red. "He explained it was just hard sex and harsh discipline and she'd be fine."

Max turned red as well from secondhand embarrassment. "Um."

"No one likes thinking about their parents that way, I know. I'm no exception. But after their return from whatever D/S retreat they went to, my father was much more open about talking about sex and the Dom lifestyle. He made sure my sisters and I weren't kept ignorant about sex overall, either through accident or design. If we had questions, especially about the D/S lifestyle, we could always go to him or mother and ask them about anything. He also made sure all three of us got retested just to be on the safe side. He actually helped lay the groundwork for my own Domme lessons, even suggesting Blackwell for me when it became an option. And most of all, we learned we could trust them with things like this, though it did take me quite some time before I could trust my mother again."

When Kate fell silent again, Max finally took a sip of her cooling tea, not really tasting it. She set the cup and saucer aside and cleared her throat. "Kate, I'm so sorry about what happened."

Kate nodded and, much to Max's relief, gave her a small smile. "Thank you. You can guess why it's something I don't talk about too much but I'm glad to share it with you."

"Um, I hope this doesn't sound too hokey but I'm honored, that you trust me enough to share your story with me."

"You're such a good friend, how could I not trust you? Thanks for listening. I hope hearing about what happened to me can help you in some small way." Kate took a sip of her tea and made a face. "Blech."

Max smiled in amusement at Kate's expression. "Got cold?"

"Yes. And there's no sugar, either. Some palette cleanser."

"You and your sweet tooth," Max replied in mock exasperation before a thought occurred to her. "How about this: let's get everything cleaned up and put away and we'll head out for a bit. Maybe get dinner? My treat."

"That sounds great. And I'll agree on one condition."

"Which is?"

Kate gave Max a look. "That first, you look me straight in the eye and tell me you're not offering to buy dinner because you 'ruined' our tea date and want to make up for it."

Fuck. Max nearly flinched as she looked away, clasping her hands together in her lap. "...sorry."

Holding back a sigh, Kate slid over on the couch and placed a hand on Max's own. "Don't apologize, Max. There's nothing to be sorry about. You know that, right?"

A mumbled, "I guess?" was Max's response.

"Then let me convince you: you didn't ask for details. You even gave me an out, saying I didn't have to talk about it. But I wanted to. I spoke, you listened. Just because the subject was once a painful one doesn't make you responsible for any discomfort. Yes, it's not something I talk about often but not because it makes me miserable. It's because it's private. I told you because I wanted you to know and I trust you with that knowledge." She squeezed Max's hands, causing her friend to finally look up. Kate smiled. "So repeat after me: I haven't ruined anything."

Max swallowed. "Um, I haven't ruined anything."

"I don't owe Kate dinner."

"I don't owe Kate dinner."

"But I will buy Kate a slice of cheesecake."

Max burst out laughing. "But I will buy you cheesecake," she managed to get out.

Kate grinned. "Glad we had this talk." She stood and stretched a bit. "Want to help me get this washed, then?"

"Sure thing." Max stood as well and, acting on impulse, wrapped Kate in a hug which the blonde reciprocated. "Thank you."

Kate held her friend, knowing she was talking about much more than a simple cup of tea. "You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max's D/S interview with Kate will have to wait for a later chapter, so I apologize if that's what everyone was looking forward to reading. I can only hope that knowing a bit about Kate's background makes up for any disappointment.
> 
> Chapter 18 is marked as complete but I've been seriously debating adding something to it or, barring that, shifting said addition to a different chapter. I haven't quite decided yet. But on the plus side, thanks to a sudden influx of inspiration, chapter 19 just poured right out and lead straight to chapter 20, the alpha of which is nearly complete. Part of chapter 21 has been written as well and the remainder is planned out.
> 
> My roommate is sick and thanks to that, I can feel myself getting sick. Ugh. The last time I got sick I got trashed out and couldn't write at all. I hope it won't be as bad this time. Time to load up on the vitamin C and pray for the best.


	18. More Than a Passing Fancy

Mr. Keaton kept the Theater group past the 4 o'clock bell but no one really minded. He was, as Chloe once said, a trip without a suitcase and quite entertaining for it. That still didn't stop everyone from scattering when they were eventually dismissed, however. Some went to the parking lot while others wandered to the closest bus stop. The rest headed back to the dorms. Rachel and Steph were amongst those.

The pair chatted the entire time, as friends do, walking side by side. They maneuvered around the occasional student as they made their way up the stairwell to the girls' floor.

"So, whatcha think?"

Even if she wanted to, there was no way Steph could wipe the grin from her face. "Okay, first off, that is fucking hysterical. Victoria as Betty is so damn perfect."

Rachel shot her an equally wide grin. "I know, right? Max has the best ideas sometimes."

Steph looked over as she opened her dorm. "Max?"

"Yup." Rachel followed Steph inside, closing the door behind her. "She heard me lamenting the fact that we simply didn't have the vocal talent for an actual musical and gave me the idea to turn it into a play. And then we started on the casting." She giggled as she plopped down on Steph's bed. "Nathan as a greaser." She giggled some more.

Steph grabbed the remote for her stereo before joining Rachel on the bed. "I can't tell what's funnier, Victoria as a Pink Lady or Nathan as a T-Bird." She powered up her system and in a few moments, electronica was filling the room. "But Chloe as Danny?" She took her beanie off and fanned herself with it, pantomiming a swoon. "Be still my beating heart."

"My thoughts exactly."

Putting her beanie back on, Steph sat up straight. "But as funny as we both find it, I'm afraid an actual play won't be likely. Not that I couldn't get it to work. But everyone on the planet would be expecting a musical and if we didn't deliver on that? Talk about a lynch mob."

Rachel sighed. "Yeah, Chloe said something similar. Damn." She shrugged. "Maybe I can convince the Vortex to throw a 50s-themed party at some point, scratch the itch that way."

"Well, Halloween is next month," Steph pointed out. "There's probably already a costume thing in the works. You could ask Victoria."

"If she's finally pulled that stick from her ass and we can have something resembling an intelligent conversation sans the cutting remarks, sure."

"You two still at war? I figured that shit would've calmed down by now."

"It's not a hot one," Rachel admitted. "Leaving the Vortex to focus on my studies definitely helped with that. More like a cold war. The graffiti on the bathroom walls attests to that." Rachel's eyes lit up. "But I bet she'd listen if I told her it was Max's idea."

"Really?" This was news to Steph. "Victoria's sweet on Max?"

"Oh yeah. Big time, unless I'm missing something. And I rarely do." Rachel leaned in closer to Steph. "Get this: Max told me this morning that Victoria informed her minions she was 'off limits' until further notice. She wouldn't tell me why, though it isn't that hard to guess."

"Damn. That's huge." And it was. While Steph and Victoria didn't run in the same circles, especially since Steph was a year older, she was quite aware of the influence the Queen B possessed and how she tended to lord it over others. For her to proclaim someone was now off-limits was a potential game-changer. "Let's say she is. What do you think her chances are? With Max, I mean."

Rachel sat back and considered. "Normally, I'd say slim to none but this is Max we're talking about. That girl is quite forgiving and more than willing to give people a second chance. She's sweet that way." Rachel tapped a finger against her lips. "If, and this is a huge if, Victoria changed her approach to be softer and not such a strong-armed Domme… Hard to say. Maybe Max would gravitate towards that kind of Domme, maybe not, but Max is kind of in a weird spot now. 'The sub is strong in that one' to bastardize one of your quotes. She has no attachments, no focus, and is still trying to figure out her preferences and kinks." Rachel shrugged. "She's such a blank slate I can see her with any number of Dommes, really."

Steph nodded, more to herself than Rachel. Max being potentially compatible with any number of Dommes was a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it meant that maybe Steph had a shot. On the other hand, if a Domme like Victoria had her sights on Max, Steph wasn't sure she could compete. She certainly couldn't match Victoria's money. Steph would've loved to have already approached Max beyond friendly waves across campus but not sharing any classes with the cute hipster put a damper on the usual approaches she'd normally take. Couple that with her busy schedule and things looked grim.

A finger booping her nose interrupted her thoughts. Steph waved the hand away. "What?"

Rachel's grin was very wide and very Rachel. "I know that look."

Shit. She noticed. It was futile, Steph knew, but she tried to deflect anyway. "What look?"

Steph must've rolled low on her sneak check because the teasing expression on Rachel's face only grew. "You're thinking about Max." Rachel tilted her head to one side, a lock of blonde hair falling across her face. She tucked the hair behind her ear. "Got a thing for cute hipsters, too?"

Double-shit. Steph crossed her arms. "Damn, don't put me on the spot like that."

"No, girl, it's okay. You can talk to me, no bullshit. Promise. " Rachel raised a hand. "Scout's honor."

Steph snorted but smiled anyway. "You were never a Scout and we both know it."

"It's the thought that counts," Rachel said with a shrug. She motioned with her hand. "So, you like Max...?"

Steph blew out a breath. "Yes, I like Max. I think she's pretty damn cute. I saw her during orientation the first day of school and she stood out to me, even though it seemed like she was trying to blend in."

Rachel nodded. She knew exactly what Steph was talking about. "That's Max for you."

"Yeah. So sure, I introduced myself and we spoke for a bit but haven't really had a chance to talk since. Being in the extended program, like you, means we don't share any classes. Makes it tough to catch her."

"True. But despite that, you're still interested."

"Yeah. And..." Steph looked away, cleared her throat, and looked back. "Okay, confession time: I saw Max Tuesday."

Rachel blinked. "You mean when she... Really?"

"Yeah."

"But you didn't say anything when I asked."

"Are you kidding?" Steph pointed at Rachel. "You were practically on a rampage that day. The way you looked, I figured if I admitted it, you'd rip my head off. No shit I'm gonna keep that to myself."

Rachel opened her mouth then quickly shut it. A moment later, she nodded. "Okay, you got me there. I do get just a little protective of Max."

"A little?" Steph replied with a smirk.

"Okay, more than a little. She just has that effect on me. And I'm not the only one. Chloe's the same way."

"I can imagine. But yeah, I saw Max Tuesday." Steph hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward. "Like you said, no bullshit. Yes, she was nude and yes, that was nice to see. I'm human, after all. But she was so utterly oblivious to anything or anyone. Completely innocent as can be. It was like seeing a baby doe that forgot to be afraid of her own shadow. And I think that's why, more than her nudity, that image will forever be burned into my brain. For a single moment, I got to see someone genuinely pure, and now I can't stop thinking about her."

"She does have that quality about her. Makes you want to wrap her up in a blanket and shield her from the world while at the same time, offering it to her on a silver platter."

"Yeah, something like that."

"Then why not go for it?"

"I get crushes way too easy," Steph explained with a sigh. "You know that. I'd like to think my interest in her is more than a passing fancy or a crush or even just lust but I can't trust myself. Not when it involves a pretty girl. I mean..." Steph trailed off as she looked away, Rachel immediately knowing what she was thinking about.

Steph had crushed on her and Chloe in the past and admitted as much later. She never acted on her feelings, though, having too much respect for both of them to ever voice her interest and risk jeopardizing their relationship with each other or Steph's friendship with them. Instead, she remained fast friends with both, being a rock they could rely on when shit got bad. Rachel loved and appreciated Steph for that alone and knew Chloe felt the same. Both would do just about anything for Steph.

Including, apparently, encouraging Steph to pursue Max. "I think you and Max would get along great," Rachel stated. "And she could always use more friends. Whether she'd be a good sub for you or you a good Domme for her, though, that remains to be seen. If you two try things out, I know you'll go easy on her."

Steph simply stared at Rachel for several moments before picking her jaw up from the floor. "Let me get this straight: you're giving me the green light to go after Max even though you're obviously crushing on her, too?" She raised her hand before Rachel could even take in a breath to protest. "Don't feed me a line of crap, Rachel. No bullshit, remember? You can't possibly sit there and say you're not. You say I have a look? Well, I can see you have it, too. Whenever you talk about Max, your eyes light up just like when you talk about Chloe."

This time, it was Rachel who was cursing internally. "Well, fuck." And externally. "Am I that obvious?"

"Maybe not to most, but I'm the exception. We've been friends even before you met Chloe. I've had a long time to learn to read you."

"No bullshit," Rachel agreed with a nod. It was practically their motto.

"So what am I missing here? I'm not going to ask Max out when you obviously want to."

"It's not a matter of wanting to ask Max out," Rachel explained. "Not really. And sure, I like her. I'll admit that to you. But the most important question right now is, who will make Max happy? Me? I'd like to think so but confident as I am, I have some doubts. What if I'm the wrong kind of Domme for her and I screw something up that ruins the friendship we have?" Rachel shook her head. "Maybe Chloe'd be a better pick. They were friends as kids before Max left the Bay. They had an instant rapport when she came back, even if things started off a bit tense. Kate would be an awesome Domme for Max, I think, and she was Max's first friend here at Blackwell. They're thick as thieves sometimes. But now Victoria's in pursuit and even Dana's interested, from what I can tell. So, who's best for her?"

"Shit, wait, hold on, Chloe? And Kate? AND Dana? Are you serious here?"

"As a heart attack. Our resident wallflower has quite the entourage interested in her."

"But Dana's sub, right?"

"Last time I checked but just because they're both subs doesn't mean they couldn't hook up. And if it became serious, it just means visits to a D/S facility as needed."

Steph groaned dramatically and flopped backwards on her bed to stare at the ceiling. "Let me guess: Max has no idea of the number of people interested in her."

"Not a one."

"Dammit." Steph scrubbed her hands over her face. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she muttered, her voice slightly muffled.

"It's a Max thing," Rachel answered sagely. "That girl doesn't realize her own appeal. If she did, she'd probably have half the student body wrapped around her little finger."

Steph peeked at Rachel from between her fingers. "Does that include us?"

Rachel smirked. "We're already a lost cause. I mean, what, exactly, are we talking about again?"

"Shit, you're right."

The two shared a laugh before falling quiet, letting the music fill the silence. For a moment, each contemplated Blackwell's resident shy brunette hipster and their place in her life.

Steph finally spoke up. "I do want to ask her out," she said softly, "but not if you say not to. Interest or not, I'm not stepping in the way. I didn't back then and I won't now. That's not my way."

Rachel reached out and placed a hand on Steph's thigh, touched, as always, by her honor, loyalty, and friendship. It was something she had come to rely on over the years and it never failed to move her. "Steph, believe me when I say this: go for her. The absolute worst thing that could possibly happen is you'll make a new friend. Someone sweet and cute, who will snap a photo of you at random times and make you look like a goddess, even on a bad day. The best thing that could happen? I'm sure you can imagine it. Either way, you won't lose me. You won't lose Chloe. You're our friend and we love you. You pursing Max won't change that. You winning Max won't change that."

Steph turned her head to face Rachel and placed her hand atop the blonde's. She gave it a small squeeze. "No bullshit?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"No bullshit," was Rachel's equally soft reply. "Promise."

Steph sat up and looked at their joined hands. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with Rachel's and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks. I mean it."

"I know." Rachel gave Steph's hand another squeeze. "And you're welcome."

 

* * *

 

After chatting with Steph, Rachel made her way to the parking lot. Normally, she'd just text Chloe and get picked up but she had a surprise for her girlfriend and didn't want to spoil it ahead of time. On the way to her modest Civic, she saw Victoria in her Lexus backing out of her space, with Nathan and Taylor as passengers. Seeing Rachel about to cross in front of her, Victoria stopped and waited. Rachel gave her a charming wave as she passed and received a cheerful middle finger in response. Their business concluded, Rachel hopped into her driver's seat while Victoria drove off.

On the way to Chloe's place, Rachel began thinking about Steph and their just-concluded conversation. Everything Rachel had said was absolutely true. Max and her would make great friends and Steph deserved a shot at her crush. Rachel genuinely wasn't sure if she was the right choice for Max as a Domme and didn't want to spoil things, even though she did like the brunette. But it wasn't the whole story. Rachel couldn't say with 100% certainty but she had a suspicion that her feelings for Max have been slowly growing from mere "like" to something a bit stronger.

And that should be terrible, right? Shouldn't she feel guilty? She had Chloe, after all, and she fucking loved that girl. They had been through some shit the past three years and some-odd months but had always, always gotten through it together and emerged from their trials and tribulations that much stronger. Sure, they did have some help, Steph especially, but what she felt with Chloe was genuine. More than lust or infatuation. Maybe it started off as such but over time, real honest true love had taken root and had grown. They were inseparable, they planned to leave the Bay together, and had even talked a bit about marriage.

So why was she thinking about Max? And why wasn't she disturbed by that fact?

Rachel had done a few searches online about her feelings and even spoke to Miss Carter briefly at one point, so she had an idea of what might be going on. She just wasn't convinced she was poly. But the real issue was, even if she was, if Chloe wasn't, then what she might or not feel for Max was utterly moot. She wanted to talk to Chloe about it but the idea made her a bit nervous. Not that Chloe would suddenly admit she was in love with Max and abandon her but that Chloe would feel betrayed by Rachel admitting she like-liked the brunette. So, she needed a way to broach the topic safely. And today, she finally had a method.

Okay, so maybe "safe" wasn't the best descriptor but it was going to be memorable. Hopefully.

Rachel parked on the street next to Chloe's house. She opted not to use the driveway in case David was either at home and needed to leave, or was out and would be showing back up. Their relationship was, at best, semi-cordial, and Rachel felt no need to stir up potential trouble by blocking his access to the garage. She hopped out of the driver's seat and opened the rear passenger door, grabbing the hoodie inside. It was Max's and had been left behind in Rachel's car after some adventure or another. Max still hadn't noticed it missing yet (that girl owned, like, a dozen identical hoodies) and, quite fortuitous for her plan today, Rachel kept forgetting to bring it into the dorms.

She removed her ubiquitous flannel shirt and tossed it in her car and slipped into the borrowed hoodie. Like the rest of Max's clothing she still wore, it was a good fit. She closed the door and looked at her reflection in the car window. Perfect. Grinning from ear to ear, she made her way to the front door and let herself inside.

There was no one in the living room. No sounds coming from the garage, either. Excellent. That meant that she and Chloe were alone. She made her way upstairs and stopped right outside Chloe's door, taking a moment to school her expression into something more timid. She had one shot at this. Time to see if all her theater training would pay off.

Raising her hand, she knocked softly and opened the bedroom door. There was Chloe, laying back on her bed, eyes closed, chilling out to her music. The window was propped open and the fan was blowing, evidence that Chloe had recently polished off a joint. Rachel didn't mind missing out this time. What she had planned, if successful, was going to result in a way bigger high than any joint could offer.

Chloe, expecting Rachel's visit, didn't raise her head at the knock. But when she didn't hear her name being called and didn't feel Rachel climbing onto the bed, she got confused. "Rach? What's up?" Chloe shifted to sit on the edge of her bed and turned to look at her girlfriend.

And nearly fell to the floor.

There was Rachel. Dressed in Max's clothes. Complete with hoodie. Standing near the door, shuffling in place, timid expression on her face. Very unlike Rachel. But very much like someone else. Chloe could only stare as rational thought exited her brain, leaving behind something far more primal.

Rachel watched Chloe's reaction and crooned in delight. On the inside. On the outside, she took a half-step forward and began toying with the hem of her borrowed hoodie. She bit her lower lip. "Hey, Chloe. Um." She couldn't force a blush so she turned her head away slightly. "I need your help. I'm, uh, incredibly turned on and I... uh." She turned back and watched as Chloe licked her lips. "Can you take me? Hard? Now? I need it."

If it wasn't for the punk music in the background, Rachel was certain she could've heard a pin drop. She could feel the tension in the air grow. After a long moment, Chloe shot from the bed and took two great steps forward, her eyes ablaze with lust. Chloe reached down and hoisted Rachel up by her ass, causing the blonde to give a short squeak of surprise at the display of strength. She wrapped her arms and legs around Chloe and held on for dear life.

Holy fuck, this was hot.

Chloe took one more step forward and pressed Rachel against the wall. She smirked. "Take you hard?" Her voice was husky with barely-restrained want. "Think you can handle it, Amber?"

Rachel grinned as she broke character. "Do your worst, Price."

And for the next hour, Chloe did precisely that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter quite a bit as it allowed me to dive into the minds of Steph and Rachel. I had a moment of self-realization during the planning stages when I said to myself, "Wait. This is MY story and MY AU. _Before the Storm_? Didn't happen!" There is some background with Rachel's parents that may come up in the future but nothing terrible. More like, I get to use the characters of James, Rose, and Sera however the hell I want and therefore, I'm using them like so.
> 
> I also really wanted to use Steph in Worthy because cute geek girls are awesome. She's going to be featured in the next two chapters as well, so prep for that.
> 
> When I was working on the timeline of the story, I discovered something critically important that I wanted to use, which wound up shifting some events down the pipeline a bit. Nothing drastic but some of the things I mentioned in chapter 15's end notes isn't going to happen as soon as I originally anticipated. However, the event I'm writing to take their place will, hopefully, be just as good.
> 
> The sickness remains but is losing strength, though in its final death throes, its landed dead on my chest and throat, giving my voice the same acoustic qualities of a rusted tuba. Makes for great phone calls, let me tell you. On the plus side, I've still been able to write, meaning chapters 19 and 20 are practically done (edits are constant until I post a chapter and sometimes extend beyond that, too). I have a good chunk of chapter 22 written, too. 21 is a bit up in the air but I have an idea on how to approach it so at least I have a starting point.


	19. TGIF

With Max and Kate working together, getting the tea set and utensils washed and dried took no time at all. But in the middle of putting everything away, Kate suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh, shoot! I completely forgot. Friday evenings is when I volunteer for Meals On Wheels."

Max blinked. "I spaced it, too. When do you have to leave?"

Kate checked her phone then gave Max a guilty look. "Now. I'm so sorry, Max."

"Don't worry about it," Max replied with a shake of her head. "I'm just happy we were able to enjoy a tea date again. We'll get together for dinner sometime later, okay?"

"Absolutely. Thanks for understanding."

"Sure thing."

So now, Max sat in her room, wondering what to do next. Sure, there was homework, but it was the weekend. She wanted to at least enjoy part of it and not worry about studying. Opting to do something she hadn't done in nearly a week, she stood and took hold of her guitar. Before sitting on her couch, she turned on her stereo, her favored station already set. A commercial was playing so she took the opportunity to sit and tune the strings, plucking a few notes, playing a couple of chords. A minute later, a song she was vaguely familiar with came on. She smiled and started playing.

At first, she played along with the song, matching the melody. After the first verse, though, she felt comfortable enough to start improvising a harmony. She nodded her head to the beat, strummed the chords, occasionally plucked out a riff. She mostly paused during the bridge, playing a couple of chords in time to the song but during the last chorus, decided to try a counter-point, pulling bits and pieces from other songs to form a unique, yet still complementary, tune. At the song's conclusion, Max played a single chord, decided she didn't like how it sounded, then laid her hand across the strings to quiet them.

The next song wasn't one she was one she was familiar with at all so she simply listened to the first verse, plucked along with the second, and decided the song wasn't a good one and ignored the rest. The third song, though, was a popular piece she knew quite well and she played right along with it, losing herself in the music enough to sing a few bars during the chorus. She played her own riff during the bridge, one she had developed for the song over the past several months, and when the end of the song was cut off for a commercial about a local used car dealership, she finished it all on her own.

A soft clapping jarred her from her zone and she nearly dropped her guitar in surprise. She spun her head towards her door to see Dana's apologetic face leaning in. "Sorry, Max! I heard the music and your door was cracked a bit, so I stuck around. Didn't mean to scare you."

Max set her guitar aside and smiled. "Well, maybe not scared, but you definitely caught me off-guard." She rose from her seat. "So what brings yooooou…" The rest of her sentence trailed off as she saw, for the first time, Dana Ward in her cheerleader uniform. Snug top. Pleated skirt. Those wondrous legs clad in shimmery hose. White sneakers. Max tore her eyes away from those legs to look Dana in the eyes and noticed her makeup was done a bit stronger than normal, with darker lashes, eye liner, and eye shadow along with more blush and bright red lipstick. But damn, she still looked good.

It was a titanic battle of wills but Dana just managed to not strike a pose and give Max a hell of a tease. "It's the first away game of the season so everyone's leaving now to catch the bus. It's about a 45 minute ride north to the school we're competing with. But when I heard you play, I just had to stop and listen. You're pretty good."

Max's brain finally rebooted and she looked away. "Um, thanks. I was just messing around, though."

"If that was just you just messing around, I can't wait to hear you when you give it your all." Dana stepped further into the room. "Oh, I forgot you probably haven't seen the uniform yet. It's new this year. The coaches decided that since Blackwell's not big enough for both, a cheerleader squad and a Jazzerette team, they'd combine the two looks into one." She motioned to herself. "So, what's your take? Hot or trashy?"

Almost against her will, Max took another look, lingering a bit on Dana's legs. "Uhh…" She licked her lips. "Hot. Very. But, um, maybe the makeup's a bit strong?"

"You're right," Dana nodded. "That's on purpose, though, since most fans will be looking at us from the stands. It has to be done up like this to be better seen from a distance."

"Oh, right. That makes sense." Max shifted. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Max. You didn't know, that's all. I'm just glad it doesn't look trashy."

Max shook her head. "You could never look trashy. You're too beautiful." Her eyes suddenly widened at her accidental compliment.

Dana's smile widened as well. "Do you really mean that?" She watched as Max looked away, shuffled her feet, twitched, glanced at her before looking away again, reached over with her right hand to grasp her left arm, shuffled again, and finally nodded.

"Yes," was the soft reply.

At the shy admission, Dana's heart melted. "C'mere, you." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Max, giving her a warm hug. "Thank you for the compliment. It means more to me, coming from you, than the entire football team combined."

Max returned the hug, feeling flushed at the words and the warmth of the embrace. "You're welcome."

A knock on her door caught both of their attentions. Max and Dana separated and turned to find a smiling Juliet standing right inside the entrance. "Hate to break up the moment but the bus is leaving soon."

"Damn, lost track of time. How much longer do we have?"

Juliet checked her phone. "About 8 minutes."

"Shit, gotta hurry." Dana turned and gave Max another apologetic look. "Sorry, Max. The ace reporter and I gotta run."

"Oh, so you're covering the game, then?" Max asked, looking towards Juliet.

"Yes. The only other reporter for the Totem is actually on the cheerleading team so it's up to me to provide an unbiased account."

Dana snorted. "'Unbiased,' she says." She shot Juliet an amused look. "Is that before or after you spend an entire quarter staring at Zach's ass?"

"Shut it, you," Juliet replied, giving Dana a light shove.

Max grinned at their antics. They were such good friends. "Well, I wish you luck."

"Thanks Max." Dana and Juliet gave her a small wave. "Take care."

"You, too."

 

* * *

 

After the pair had departed, Max killed some time in her room by browsing YouTube for amusing videos. When 5 o'clock rolled around, she made her way to the cafeteria for something to eat. As expected for Friday evening, the line was practically non-existent. With a good chunk of the resident student body on their way north for that away game, the number of people needing to be fed was smaller than normal. Unfortunately, this also meant little in the way of variety: just sandwiches and leftovers from lunch. Well, not really leftovers, but rather batches of food that hadn't been cooked and prepared previously. To make up for the lack of choices in the main course, though, the cooks in the kitchen always offered freshly baked pie. Served on Fridays only, it was like a little treat for those brave enough to take the plunge and eat in the cafeteria instead of hitting up a restaurant or fast food joint. And with the aforementioned football game, the limited amount of pie wouldn't be completely demolished by everyone else before Max got a slice.

Max decided against another sandwich and got a serving of spaghetti and meatballs, a dinner roll, and a carton of milk. As for pie, she decided to try the blueberry. So far, the cherry and apple were pretty good so chances were high that this one would be, too. She took a seat at an empty table and began to eat while also taking a look around. There were a few people here and there, eating and chatting quietly, eating and reading, or, like her, just eating.

"Max?"

Max turned, surprised to hear her name called out, and saw Steph standing behind her with a tray. She smiled. "Hey, Steph. What's up?"

Steph smiled. "Not much. Just wanted to grab some sustenance and was surprised to see a friendly face." She motioned towards the table. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure! Have a seat."

"Thanks." Steph walked around to the other side and sat opposite of Max. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good. Busy with classes and, um, another new thing." Max cleared her throat. "What about you?"

"Mostly good. The AP course load is whipping my ass, though. I know it'll be worth it in the long run but damn, there's a lot of studying."

Max nodded as she ate a bite. "My AP English course can get pretty rough at times. I take it you're taking more than that, though?"

"Yeah. I'm in the extended senior program, like Rachel. We both share nearly every class as a result and they're all tough. I'm taking AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP US Government, and AP Studio Art. Theater, too, because I needed an elective and it's one I actually like." She took a bite of her sandwich, chewed and swallowed. "I took AP English last year to get it out of the way. Thankfully, the credit I earned then is still good. I think I woulda killed someone if it expired after a year or something equally stupid."

Max giggled. "You sound a lot like Chloe right now."

Steph smiled. "I take it that's a good thing?"

"Oh yeah. She's super smart and always gets the work done but she'll complain the whole time doing it."

"That's Chloe all right." Steph smirked. "Though because we hang out a bunch, maybe it's Chloe that sounds like me instead the other way around."

Max nodded. "Good point."

The pair ate in companionable silence for a bit, Steph working up her nerve. She hadn't expected to run into Max so soon after her conversation with Rachel and was a bit unprepared. She took a deep drink of her juice to soothe her suddenly dry throat. "You have anything going on tonight?"

Max shook her head. "Not really. Kate's doing volunteer work and Rachel's off doing-- I mean, she's, um, hanging out with Chloe." Max turned a bit red at her near-slip.

Steph caught it, though. "What you were about to say is probably more accurate."

"Um, yeah." The thought of Rachel and Chloe together brought up another thought. "Oh, yeah, speaking of which--"

Steph blinked as Max suddenly cut herself off. She was then treated to the sight of the freckled brunette slapping her hands over her face and hanging her head low. "Um, something wrong?"

"Dog..." was the muffled response. Max shook her head, dropped her hands in her lap, and lifted her head. "Okay, please don't take this the wrong way, but thinking about Rachel and Chloe being together reminded me of an assignment I'd like to get your help on. But in my head, it sounded really suggestive and I totally don't mean it that way."

Steph shrugged. "No problem. So, what's the assignment?"

Max shifted in her seat. This is the part that always got to her. "Um, so Tuesday, I did something stupid. Like, really stupid. And afterwards, I was given a special assignment by Miss Carter, the guidance counselor. I need to speak to most of the girls in the dorm about their thoughts and opinions on being a Domme or a sub, their lifestyle, plans for the future, stuff like that. The hope is that all that exposure will help me figure myself out."

Steph nodded, having heard about some of this from Rachel. She didn't like Max calling the incident stupid, though, as it implied she did it on purpose and that obviously wasn't the case. Now wasn't the time to point it out, however. Maybe later. "I'll be happy to help."

Max sighed in relief. "Thanks. Since we don't get to hang out much I wasn't sure if you'd be available."

Steph chuckled. "I'm here, at Blackwell, on a Friday night, eating dinner in the cafeteria. Of course I'm available. In fact, answering your questions will be a nice respite from all the studying I should be doing."

Max grinned. "I know all about procrastinating."

"Dodging other school responsibilities, too?"

"Definitely."

The two shared a laugh and drifted to other friendly topics as they finished their meal. Eventually, the two dumped their trash and starting making their way back to the dorms.

"So," Steph started, "you've been asking girls in the dorm since Tuesday, right?"

Max nodded. "Yes."

"Has it been eye-opening for you?"

"Completely. I never really gave much thought to my sub nature until I came to Blackwell but even after getting here, I was completely focused on my photography. I mean, I knew Blackwell was a training facility as well as a school but I pretty much came here for Mark Jefferson and nothing else."

"I'm a bit opposite. There were a number of schools I could have attended but after my parents and I discussed my options, I specifically chose this one because it was a good balance between scholastic studies and D/S training. I had a hard time nailing down my Domme nature at the time and I still needed to figure things out."

The two entered the dorms and began climbing the stairs to the girls' dorm. "I take it you've figured things out by this point?"

"Yes, though it took a bit longer than I would've liked. That's part of the reason I'm in the extended seniors program. I spent a lot of time in Domme and D/S classes and not enough, in my opinion, on studies. The extended program is definitely going to increase my chances of getting into a good school."

"You didn't want to take D/S classes in college, then?"

Steph shook her head. "I know it's an option but I'd rather have things figured out before then. I want college to be about college courses and not fumbling my way around the bedroom, y'know?"

Max nodded as she unlocked her door. "Makes sense. I'm considering taking a sub course next semester for similar reasons." She opened her door. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Steph took a look around after Max hit her lights and got a good look at Max's photo wall. "Whoa, nice. Did you take all these?"

"Oh." Somehow, Max had completely forgotten about her wall and the fact that Steph had never seen it before. She shuffled, a sudden bout of self-consciousness striking her. "Um, yeah."

"This is pretty damn awesome." Steph stepped inside and took a closer look. "Rachel mentioned you used Polaroids but it just never registered."

"Yeah." Max swallowed. "I actually prefer analogue to digital. I mean, I know how to use digital. My parents got me an older Sony Cybershot a few years back to test out and use and I liked it well enough." She shrugged. "But nothing beats out the inconvenience of analogue."

Steph looked back. "'Inconvenience?'"

"Um, I guess that sounds kinda dumb. Sorry. I mean, with digital, you can take a hundred photos of the same thing and pick the best shot afterwards. You can even edit the image, make things brighter, adjust the contrast, stuff like that. And that has its advantages. But with analogue, you have to know what you're doing. You can't edit a photo after it's taken. My camera can only take 10 shots before needing a new pack of film so I have to get it right the first time. That inconvenience made me learn the hard way about angles, lighting, focal distance, shadow, all of it."

"Learn by doing." Steph nodded. "I like it." She turned back towards the wall. "And the results speak for themselves. These are fantastic."

Max shuffled again. "They really aren't that good. I still have so much more to learn."

"Max." Steph turned back. "You just said that in order to use analogue, you have to know what you're doing. These," she motioned towards the wall, "demonstrate quite clearly that you obviously do."

"Oh. Um." Max looked towards the photo wall, not quite able to see what Steph saw in her photos. She liked them well enough, but good? Great? Not even close. Amateurish, perhaps. Lazy, maybe. That's what Victoria had always called her selfies, after all.

Steph saw the confusion and doubt in Max's expression and tried to think of something else to say. "Didn't you tell me back during orientation that you were here on a photography scholarship and a full ride at that?"

Max blinked, surprised that Steph remembered their conversation from weeks ago. She nodded. "Yeah."

"Then, isn't that proof that you're good and know what you're doing?"

Max froze. What...? Several moments later, Steph's words forced themselves into Max's head. Was it... really that simple? Was she actually good? Like, for real, good? She had doubts, gigantic, supreme doubts, but... Max blinked. She did earn a scholarship to one of the most prestigious academies in western Oregon to study under the famed Mark Jefferson, a photographer of considerable renown and skill. The school didn't take just anyone. Mark Jefferson didn't accept just anyone. Could that possibly mean she did have at least some skill? And why had she never considered that angle before??

Steph watched as Max's gaze turned inward as she thought long and hard about something. Rachel and Chloe both had mentioned that Max suffered from low self-esteem and after speaking to her for less than an hour, Steph could see it was absolutely true. Hopefully, what Steph just said would sink in and help.

She turned back to the photo wall, looking at what must have been a recent photo of Chloe. Shot from behind, the blue-haired punk was seated at the lighthouse bench overlooking the Bay. The lighting was excellent, casting intriguing shadows on one side of her face. It was damn good. Max did this with a Polaroid in only one try, not hundreds, with zero post-editing to improve the shot. How could Max not consider herself skilled?

She turned back to see Max coming back to awareness and tried to push her point home. "I took Photography last year, to better study the effects of lighting and shadow in my digital work. Got a B- overall. I thought that was pretty good, especially considering how critical Mr. Jefferson was." She pointed to the photo of Chloe. "But this? These?" She made a sweeping motion with her hands. "These kick the ass of anything I ever turned in. If I could go back in time and take a handful of these with me and turn them in as my own work? I know I would've aced that class and probably had half the people there on their knees, kissing my feet."

Max shuffled at Steph's praise, feeling uncharacteristically proud. "Really?" she replied in a small voice.

"Damn straight. Don't discount your own abilities. Just because you might have a lot to learn doesn't mean you aren't talented now. It just means you have room to improve and refine, just like all of us."

"I-- Thank you." Max reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. "I've always been scared that my stuff's not good enough or maybe everyone was just being nice, but hearing you say that... I never thought of it that way. But maybe you're right. Maybe I'm more than just okay." Max finally raised her head to look at Steph and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks," she repeated.

Steph could feel the gay rising. The look Max was giving her, those eyes, that smile... Shit, shit, shit! "You're welcome." Quick! Deflect! "So, you mentioned a notebook?"

"Oh! Right." Max turned back to her desk and grabbed her D/S folder and notebook. "Got 'em. Um, did you want to do it here or your room?"

Here. Right now. Bed optional. Steph swallowed the words and instead motioned towards the door with her head. "How about we swing over to my place? You showed me yours so it's only fair I show you mine." She grinned. "I don't have an awesome photo wall but I do have a lot of game systems."

"Hey, that works. I love video games. I'm just terrible at most of them."

"Well, let's see if we can find something we both can enjoy."

"Sounds great!"

Steph watched as Max grabbed her camera on her way out and closed the door behind her. She gave the shy girl a smile and lead the way to her dorm. On the outside, she was calm, cool, and collected. But inside, she was having a minor freak-out. Was her room clean enough? Did she put her dirty clothes away? Was there porn visible on her laptop? And most importantly, would Max like her? She had a crush on Max and admitted as much to Rachel an hour ago. But after speaking to Max now...

Steph unlocked her door and pushed the door open. "Welcome to Casa de Gingrich, where only the most awesome of nerds are allowed entry." She gave Max an exaggerated bow, who giggled in response.

...she was pretty certain she was now utterly smitten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at a really weird place at the moment, mentally. I'm getting a bad feeling that I only have a limited amount of time left to finish this story before it's too late. And even knowing it's likely my depression fucking with me again, I can't stop feeling it. Part of me wants to post everything I've typed no matter the quality. Fortunately, the larger part of me contains my utter anal retentiveness. I simply can't release a chapter unless I've raked it through the coals at least a dozen times, save it here as a draft, re-read it, post it, then re-read it again the following day to ensure I haven't missed anything. And even after all that, I'll still go back and re-read chapters, catching and editing mistakes as I find them (I just fixed a couple in chapter 9 a few hours ago). At least, all the re-reading helps ensure I'm maintaining the correct voice with my characters and the proper tone with the work overall.
> 
> This particular chapter was a lot of fun to write but became so damn big I had to split it up. Yes, chapters 19 and 20 were once one large piece but when it starting approaching 8k words, I figured I needed to break it up. Fortunately, doing so was rather easy: everything before the Steph's interview, followed by the actual interview. Part of me was debating removing the guitar portion to streamline things but honestly, after writing everything out, I felt better for having shown that Max is actually a skilled musician as well as a talented photographer. I like Max having more layers to her even if she doesn't believe she possesses them. Plus, I also liked having Dana show up, however briefly. She's grown on me quite a bit over the last few months thanks to others' works and I can't wait to write up her interview with Max.
> 
> There was a section I did cut out: a conversation between Dana and Juliet that would reveal a little of Dana's own crush on Max but I couldn't quite nail the tone. The more I wrote, the further away from the "core" of the chapter things felt, so ultimately, it got removed. The extreme rough draft is still saved elsewhere, though. Time will tell if portions of it show up in a future chapter.


	20. Gingrich, Steph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everyone who has given this fic a chance, who left kudos, and especially who left me such wonderful comments in the previous chapter. It was such an incredible boost to read all your words of encouragement. This chapter is coming out way faster than normal but that's partly because it was written along with the previous one and was completed at around the same time. I hope you enjoy.

Max stepped in Steph's room, her eyes immediately drawn to the entertainment center lining one wall. "Whoa." Without thinking, she walked right over and began examining all the game systems closely. "Look at all this! Wow, a Wii U?" She picked up the tablet-controller and fiddled with it. "I haven't played this or the Wii at all." She placed the controller back and looked further down. "A 360 and a PS3?" She turned back to Steph and grinned. "I'm surprised you haven't been arrested by Microsoft goons or Sony henchmen for daring to own both."

Steph smirked. "They tried. They failed." She laughed. "Actually, they took one look at the Wii U and got so confused, they left."

Max snickered as she peered through the glass doors of the entertainment center at all the games lined up. "For some reason, I was expecting a wall of games but this actually looks modest."

"Yeah. All the studying has really cut into my normal gaming time so I haven't been keeping up to date with them. I still collect the systems, though."

Max nodded as she opened the cabinet doors. "Ooo, neat." She took hold of the 3DS that lay there and popped it open. "I saw this in a display case back in Seattle and thought it was so cool."

"It is. It's just too bad the platform doesn't have the support it needs to really shine. I'll let you borrow it if you want to try it."

That comment seemed to jar Max back to awareness. She blinked, as if noticing what she had in her hands for the first time. "Oh, dog, I'm sorry! I just started grabbing things and didn't even ask permission." She hurried to put the DS back. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Max, it's okay. If it bothered me, I would've told you from the get-go. And besides," Steph said with a shrug, "I just offered to let you borrow it. You'd have to touch it to play it."

Max closed the cabinet doors, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as the hardware was safely back in place. "I appreciate the offer but I know me. I'm, like, way clumsy. I'll probably drop and break it in an hour."

Steph made certain to keep her voice normal. "Then, how about coming by and playing it in here sometime?" She saw Max's eyes light up at the possibility.

"But, um, I wouldn't want to bother you, especially if you're trying to study."

"Eh, we can work out the thorny details later. The DS does have a headphone jack if it gets right down to it."

"Okay. Cool." Max nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. So," Steph looked around her room, "did you want to take the couch, the bed, or these awesome jelly bean bag chairs?" She nudged one with her foot.

"' _Jelly_ bean bag chair?'" Max repeated.

"Think bean bag chair except instead of the normal beans, it's filled with soft, silicone-like beads. Very squishy, very comfortable."

Max leaned down and tentatively pressed her hand into the chair. "Oh, wow, that's funky."

"Give it a shot. If you don't like it, we can always switch to the couch."

"Okay."

Max turned and carefully lowered herself into one of the chairs, letting out a short gasp of surprise when she sank into it. "Whoa!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just caught me off-guard." Max shifted and giggled. "Man, you're right, this is super squishy. I could play with this all day."

Steph just watched Max for a bit as the brunette shifted and twisted on the chair, giggling the entire time. She grinned. "I was the same way when I first got these."

Max finally settled down and looked up at Steph, happy as can be, and smiled. "Care to join me?"

The question was innocuous and free from any innuendo. What Max meant was for Steph to sit on the other chair and join her on the floor. Max couldn't know that laying back as she was, with her blue eyes, wide smile, and innocent expression, she was inadvertently hitting all of Steph's buttons. It took the beanie-wearing girl a moment to steer her thoughts from traveling down a very different path. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Wanna join me on the floor?" Max nudged the other chair with her toe. "It'll be weird asking these questions if you're standing the entire time."

"Right! Gotcha." Steph plopped herself in the other chair. "Got lost in thought for a moment."

"Happens to me all the time." Max shifted again, this time to bring her knees up a bit so she could use her lap as a temporary desk. She opened her notebook and turned to the next blank page, taking a moment to grab the chart from her folder as well. "Ready?"

"Fire away."

"Okay, so first, sexual orientation?"

"Hella gay."

Max lifted her gaze to peer at Steph. "You definitely hang out with Rachel."

"Oh yeah. We've been friends since she moved here in the 7th grade so we've picked up a lot of each other's habits."

"I bet. And are you a Domme or a sub?"

"Domme, most definitely."

"Do you know what kind of Domme you are? You mentioned earlier having to take some extra time to figure things out."

"Yeah. I took the tests when I was about 14 so I've known I was a Domme for a while but I just couldn't nail down exactly what I was. Tried a few different things, took a few courses here to filter out what I'm not before finally discovering my role: Director."

Max jotted that down and glanced up, a question in her eyes. "Um."

Steph explained. "I don't know if that's an official title but it's one I use because it suits me perfectly. Sexually, I like telling subs what to do and how to pose, directing them to perform specific tasks."

"So, like Victoria?"

"Not quite. She's a Queen, right?" At Max's nod, Steph went on. "Her kind of Domme issues more everyday-type orders along with sexual ones. She can easily command a sub to 'fetch me a drink' or 'do my laundry' as well as 'strip naked and lick my boots.' Think of me more like a movie director but only for the bedroom. Like, if I ask you for a strip tease, I'll tell you exactly when to pop the next button on your shirt and how to shift your hips until it gets just right." She shrugged. "It's not something a lot of subs are into, admittedly."

"Because of your specificity?"

"Exactly. I've tried with some subs in the past and most got too frustrated with me. Called me an anal retentive a slave driver for starters. Nowadays, I leave it alone unless I need to hit up a clinic. I typically wind up requesting the services of a slave just to get someone willing to follow orders, even though I'm not an Owner."

"That sucks. Sorry."

"Not your fault, though I appreciate the sentiment."

Max wrote a few lines of notes when a thought occurred to her. She bit her lip. "Um, Steph?"

"Yes?"

"If you're a Director, is that why you're always a stage manager for Blackwell's plays?"

Steph smiled. "Kinda yes, kinda no. Mr. Keaton is the actual director for the play and handles everything on stage. I direct what happens behind the stage, getting people ready for their next scenes, making sure props are ready to go, that sort of thing. So yes, being a stage manager really suits me. And it does help me a bit on a personal level, though as you can imagine, it isn't quite the same as being with a sub.

"One of my previous girlfriends jokingly recommended I get into pornography so I could direct as much as my heart desired. But that wouldn't work. Even if I was directing a sex scene, that's a professional environment. It's job that needs doing, nothing more. Unlike some accusations, my needs are much more than being a combination voyeur and control freak. I need synergy with my sub, so a strong personal connection is paramount."

Max shuddered softly and shook her head afterward. That was weird. "How long did you have to take classes until you knew for certain?"

"Until last year. So, three years total."

"And was it worth it?"

"Absolutely. I know Rachel hasn't quite nailed herself down and that's perfectly fine. I honestly think she's already accepted her role but just doesn't have a name for it. Me, though, I had no idea and hated the thought that there was a piece of me hidden away somewhere that I didn't know about. And when I started feeling my urges, it was like an itch I just couldn't quite scratch. It was beyond aggravating. Rachel and Chloe tried to help but they could only do so much."

Again, Max shuddered. This time, though, Steph noticed. "Are you okay?"

Max shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's happening." She looked at Steph, her face apologetic. "Sometimes, when someone is speaking to me, it gives me this weird sensation in the back of my head. I don't really know how to describe it." She shrugged. "It hasn't happened for a while, though, so I'm surprised it's happening now." Max knew what she was saying was strange, maybe even dumb, so it took her by complete surprise when Steph's face lit up in delight.

"Oh, my God. This is great!"

Max blinked. "It is?"

Steph nodded and sat up in her chair. "A strange sensation, like a tingling in your skull? Or a shivering? But not like when you're cold. A good shiver. Right?"

"Um, yeah." Max was shocked. How the hell did Steph know that?

Steph saw the bewilderment on Max's face and hurried to explain. "I'm the same way but it was only recently that I discovered a term for it. Ever hear of ASMR?"

"No," Max replied with a shake of her head.

"It stands for Autonomous something-something Response. Essentially, brain tingles." Steph rolled out of her chair and came to sit on the floor right next to Max. "I thought I was the only one who felt it but if my voice triggered you, then that means you're probably sensitive, too."

Max had to smile at Steph's excitement. "You make it sound like I've developed super powers or something."

Steph laughed. "I guess I am rambling a bit. It happens when I'm stoked. But I think you've just experienced ASMR, like I do. With your permission, may I try something with you?"

"Sure."

"Great! Okay, first, let me have those." Steph reached for Max's notebook and folder. "Don't worry; we'll get back to the interview in a bit."

"Okay."

Steph set the paperwork aside. "Now, lay back a bit and make yourself comfortable. No tension in your back or shoulders. I want you to relax in the chair as much as possible."

"Okay." Max rose and shifted slightly, repositioning herself more fully on the bean bag.

Steph saw that Max's head was now a touch closer to the edge of the chair and nodded. Perfect. "Full disclosure: I've never done this before so I'm going to try a few different things. No touching, though, so don't worry about that."

"It's okay if you do. I trust you."

Steph blinked at the faith Max granted her so easily and had to take a moment to compose herself. "Thanks." She cleared her throat. "Now, if you want, close your eyes. Relax your arms and let your hands rest in your lap. No tension, anywhere. You're safe here."

As Steph's voice softened and became steady, more regulated, Max's eyes fluttered closed, almost of their own accord. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling herself relax more fully in the chair.

Steph shifted to kneel behind Max. "I'm going to ramble on a bit from topic to topic. Some things might make sense. Others, not so much. Don't worry about what I'm saying, only how I'm saying it. I'm going to see if I can recreate that tingling sensation in you."

Max slowly nodded her head. "Okay."

For the next fifteen minutes, Steph did precisely that. She spoke about astrology and astronomy, her favorite Final Fantasy game, the last time she had a really good cup of joe. As she spoke, she shifted to Max's left ear, to directly behind Max's head, to her right ear. She leaned in extremely close and whispered the first six digits of pi in Max's right ear, switched sides, and whispered the next six in her left. The entire time, she kept a close eye on Max, the way she'd occasionally twitch and shudder softly, what seemed to work and what didn't. How Max seemed more sensitive in her left ear compared to her right.

Finally, Steph sat back. Her hands itched to reach forward and brush her fingers through Max's hair but she held back. Even with Max's previous permission, it felt presumptuous. Maybe Max was someone who didn't like unsolicited physical contact. She was still testing the waters of friendship here and didn't want to risk ruining everything.

After not hearing Steph's voice for several long moments, Max slowly opened her eyes, tracking towards where Steph sat and gave her a warm smile. "Damn..."

That expression, that face... Steph barely kept herself from licking her lips. "You liked that?" she asked, her voice still soft.

"Oh yeah. That was so soothing and relaxing. Like what I imagine being hypnotized must be like."

"You ever try hypnotism?"

Max nodded. "Way back. Hypno-therapy. Didn't work."

Intriguing. Steph set that aside for now. "May I try one more thing?"

"Sure."

Shifting a bit closer to the bean bag, Steph faced Max. "It involves some light touching."

Max shrugged slightly, still smiling. "Like I said, I trust you."

Steph nodded. "Cool." She reached forward with her right hand and slowly began brushing her fingertips through Max's bangs. "Some ASMR videos do things other than talking. Hair cut roleplays, eye exams, doctor visits." She began to lightly brush her finger tips against Max's forehead, cheek, the bridge of her nose. "Some simulate applying makeup to the viewer or what I'm doing: brushing with finger tips through hair or on the face. All sorts of things."

"I like this." Max had closed her eyes again. "It's different from just hearing your voice but it's a good different."

"Tingles?"

"Hmm. Not yet but very soothing. I haven't been touched like this in years."

The fingers paused. "Seriously?"

The disbelief in Steph's voice made Max open her eyes again. "Um, yeah." She started feeling self-conscious and felt the urge to shrink into the chair. "I mean, why would they?"

Steph could see Max's discomfort and, like before, tried to alleviate it. "Because you're awesome." She brushed her fingers through Max's hair again. "Because you're fun to be around. Because you're really nice. Because you're super cute."

The compliments were completely unexpected. "I--" Max swallowed and could feel her cheeks heat up. "I... Um. That's-- You..."

Steph saw Max's reaction and read something quite different from her expression. She slowly pulled her hand away. "Max..." Shit! She fucked up, pushed too hard, too fast. She sat back on her heels and turned away from Max's wide-eyed expression, her own mood plummeting. Dammit. Rejection always hurt but coming from this girl... "I'm sorry."

"What?" Max blinked, stunned at the apology. Why was Steph apologizing? And why did she suddenly seem sad? Max made a move to sit up. "What're you-- hnnngh!"

At the grunt, Steph turned back and immediately had to stifle a grin. "Problems?"

"Um, no?" Max tried to getting up again and failed miserably. She then went to lean forward and just sank further into the chair. She huffed out a breath and gave Steph a helpless look. "Maybe?"

It should be illegal to be this cute but seeing Max struggle in the chair like a turtle on its back succeeded in lifting her spirits a bit. "Getting out of these takes some getting used to. I was the same way. Here." Steph stood and reached an arm out to Max. "Grab hold."

"Okay." Max reached forward with one arm and clasped Steph's forearm.

"One, two, three!"

On the third count, Steph stepped back and pulled. Unlike Max's encounter with Miss Carter, however, this wasn't as graceful an exit. The angle was worse, Max was in a weirder position, and Steph lacked the sheer strength of the guidance counselor. All the above factors meant that when Max was finally freed from the chair, she staggered forward, bumped into Steph, and sent the two of them tumbling to the ground.

Steph instinctively wrapped Max in her arms and braced for impact. Fortunately, the two fell straight atop the other bean bag chair, Steph absorbing most of the impact with a soft, "Oof!"

"Oh shit!" Max tried scrambling out of Steph's arms but was held firm. She wound up squirming ineffectually against Steph's body. "Are you okay?"

Steph let out quiet moan at the sensation.

Thinking that Steph was hurt, Max went still, afraid to keep moving in case it aggravated Steph's injuries. "Fuck, Steph, I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?"

Steph swallowed. She didn't mean to make that noise but fuck, it had been a while. She cracked one eye open and looked at Max's expression. Thankfully, all she saw was pure concern. Steph quickly affected a pained voice. "I'm dying, Max. I'm going to need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

There was a moment of complete silence before Max groaned at the terrible joke and slumped in Steph's arms. "You really are friends with Chloe and Rachel, aren't you."

With only some regret, Steph loosened her hold and snickered as Max crawled backwards off her. "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

Standing, Max stretched. "I forgive you. I'm just glad I've had time to get used to Rachel's and Chloe's sense of humor." She dropped her arms and smiled. "Less time to get used to being your friend."

Steph, in the middle of standing from the bean bag, nearly tripped over her own feet at Max's casual offer of friendship. "Whoa."

Max reached out and grabbed Steph's arm to steady her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure. Headrush, that's all." Steph gave Max's hand a pat. "But thanks for looking out for a fellow gay nerd."

"Well, you know what they say: nerds of a feather stick together."

The two shared a grin before Steph took a seat on her bed. "So, overall, what did you think of the ASMR thing?"

"Very weird." Max collected her notebook and folder and joined Steph. "But I really enjoyed it. I never expected to find out what it was, much less that others can feel it and can set it off."

"You can find a bunch of people on YouTube doing that nowadays. I think it's one of the newer trends. But I'm here if you want to experience it firsthand."

"I think I'd like that better." Max turned a bit red at the admission and looked down to hide her face. "Um, thanks."

Again, Steph was struck with the realization that the girl sitting only a few feet away from her was cute as hell and desirable as fuck. She cleared her throat and did her best tone down the gay. Steph had a bad feeling if Max caught her vibes, she'd likely stutter out an apology and run for the hills. It was a minor miracle that she hadn't caught her earlier faux pas. "You're welcome." She pointed to the notebook in Max's hands. "So, where were we before I so rudely interrupted us?"

"It wasn't a rude interruption at all. It was a pretty nice one." Max opened her notebook and quickly reviewed what she had written. "Oh. Um." She gave Steph a hesitant look. "You mentioned that Rachel and Chloe helped you?"

"Yeah, they tried. Rachel with questions and theories, approaching me with different Domme styles and ideas. Stuff that she's tried and whatnot. Chloe helped by volunteering to sub for me, letting me test a lot of things out." Steph saw Max's expression and smiled. "No sex. Very sexy at times and afterwards, we all had to go our separate ways to get relief, but no sex. They're a couple and that's a line I won't cross."

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to accuse or anything, I just--"

"Max." Steph leaned forward and touched Max on her knee, quieting the apologies. "I know you weren't being accusatory. I could see the question in your eyes, that's all."

"Oh." Max shifted. "Um, okay. Just, uh, wanted to make sure."

God, this girl. Steph smiled. "Like I said, Rachel and I have been friends since the 7th grade, Chloe and I since 9th. We've gotten super close to one another over the years and know each other extremely well. Having some shared Domme and sub lessons didn't endanger that." She shrugged. "That's not to say it couldn't. We weren't blind to the possibility but we always talked thing through before and after to clear the air, make sure we were all still on the same page, make absolutely certain no lines were crossed.

"My motto with the both of them is 'no bullshit.' Meaning, we're open and honest with each other. There are enough people out there in the world who are fake, who will feed you a load of shit, who will keep painful secrets from you until it's too late. We don't want that. For us, honesty is the best policy, even if it's sometimes painful."

The explanation reminded Max of Victoria, who stated she how much she hated fakes. She'd probably appreciate Steph's "no bullshit" stance. "And that's worked for you three? Being that open with each other?"

"Definitely. Maybe our relationship looks odd from the outside and our approach probably wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for us. And that's what matters."

Max nodded. "So, when you were with Rachel and Chloe, or with anyone else, did you ever have to negotiate a scene or use safewords?"

"Hmm." Steph sat back and considered. "That's a pretty smart question. With me and my previous subs, no safewords were needed as things never progressed far enough to require them. I suppose you could label us talking through what we were going to try out negotiating a scene but probably not." She shrugged. "It was more me explaining what I was looking for and if they'd consider trying things with me than figuring out specifics about toys, accessories, bondage, anything like that. I keep things pretty vanilla at first, to test the waters. And with Rachel and Chloe, that was less negotiating a scene and more instructional and experimentation. Since it was always all three of us together and not me and Chloe or me and Rachel, it really wasn't needed."

"I take it that was part of your 'no bullshit' approach? Keep things open, no secrets?"

"Yes, precisely. It was actually something I insisted on when we first started. Both trusted me and each other so it took a bit of convincing to get them to agree but after all was said and done, they agreed that it was the best approach to take."

"How come?"

"Because even if there wasn't any actual sex happening, what we were doing was extremely sexual in nature. You can have the best of intentions and have the morals of a saint, but when emotions are running that high, rational thought tends to go out the window. Maybe you reach down further than you intended, maybe you kiss when you're not supposed to, maybe you forget yourselves in the heat of the moment and engage in sex. And then what happens? Guilt. Shame. Anger. Jealously. Hate, even. I didn't want to risk that.

"And maybe I couldn't trust myself fully yet, either," Steph finished with a sigh.

Max blinked. "What do you mean?"

Steph rubbed the back of her neck. "Can you do me a favor and leave this part out of your notes?"

"Absolutely." Max closed said notebook and put it aside.

"Thanks." Steph took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I used to have a crush on Rachel and Chloe. Rachel first, Chloe later. Nothing ever came of it, obviously. They became an item before I could work up the nerve to ask either of them out. I actually confided in them about my feelings later, to clear the air. No bullshit. They were cool about it and it didn't change anything about our relationship. But when I was talking to them about my Domme issues and they volunteered to help, I was scared that part of me was still harboring something for them and would use the lessons as an opportunity to break them up. Hence, me insisting that both of them were always present.

"I didn't admit the real reason for my insistence until a month after the lessons over. Again, they were cool about it and understood where I was coming from. They asked me if I really was harboring any deep-seated feelings. Truthfully, no, I wasn't. But that didn't mean I wasn't scared shitless about it." She shook her head. "I've never had as good of friends as I have with them. I don't think I could live with myself if something I did jeopardized that."

It was the most honorable and noble thing Max had ever heard in her life and it genuinely moved her. Before she could overthink her actions, Max slid forward on the bed and placed a hand on Steph's. When the girl in question looked back at her, curious, Max smiled. "I hope this doesn't sound lame but listening to you, hearing you talk about your friendship with Chloe and Rachel, it's so inspiring. Rachel and Chloe both have talked about you and I can tell how much they appreciate you. You're such a good friend. No, a great friend. And the fact you haven't found the right sub for you just plain sucks." She gave Steph's hand a comforting squeeze. "She's out there, though. She has to be. Someone who will be as loyal to you as you will be to her. And when you finally find her, the synergy you'll have with each other will be even more awesome than you are right now." She grinned. "And that's pretty damn awesome."

Max's words were turning Steph's insides into a warm, gooey, gay mess. She felt the sappy smile grow on her face and did nothing to stop it. "Thanks, Max." Glad that her words came out clear and steady, she gave Max's hand a small squeeze in return. "But just so you know, I think you're pretty awesome, too."

"No accounting for taste," Max joked. "I'm sorry that we never hung out before today. This has been a lot of fun."

"But we did hang out today. That's all that matters, right?"

"Right." Max gave Steph's hand a final squeeze before turning to gather her notebook and folder. "I'm sure I have enough here for my initial report but depending on how long the assignment goes, I may have to ask other questions later on. Would that be okay?"

"Sure thing. But you don't have to wait for the assignment to visit, you know. Stop by anytime. And don't worry about disturbing me. Even if I'm nose deep in the books, I'd love to have you over."

"That sounds great. I definitely will."

The pair rose from the bed and went over to the door, Steph pausing a moment. "I'll be honest, I kinda want to give you a goodbye hug but I wasn't sure how you felt about unsolicited physical contact."

Max blinked at the phrasing before giving Steph a warm smile. "Friends always have permission for hugs." And with that, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Steph, who returned the gesture. "Thanks, again, for helping me out."

"You're welcome. Have a good rest of the evening."

"You, too."

Steph watched Max walk down the hall and around the corner before gently closing and locking her door. She let out a small sigh and rested her forehead against the door. Fucking hell, she had it bad. Max was just so damn cute. Those freckles, those eyes, that smile. That laugh. But even more than the physical, Max was genuinely good. Sweet, like Rachel said. Utterly oblivious to her own appeal, though that did little to dissuade Steph. On the contrary, it was acting like a lure. A shy beacon calling out to her and every available bi and gay Domme in the dorm. Now that Steph had spent time with her, she finally understood how Max had so many admirers, so many Dommes who all desired the shy girl. But even knowing it was risky, Steph decided to wait. As much as she wanted to, she didn't ask Max out today for a couple of reasons. First, rushing straight into a relationship was just a disaster waiting to happen, something she knew from prior experience. Second, and more importantly, she really did want to become friends with Max. To that end, she did her best to tone down the gay, keep the innuendo to a minimum, and though she stumbled a couple of times, it all seemed to work out in the end.

None of this helped with Steph's immediate problem, however: she was horny as fuck.

She turned back to her room and removed her beanie, tossing it onto her bed. She then turned on her stereo and with a couple button presses, a different playlist than before filled the silence of the room but instead soothing background electronica, these tracks were stronger, more raw, more passionate, starting with Enigma's "Principles of Lust."

Steph needed this.

She closed her blinds and shut the thick curtains on her window, plunging the room into near-darkness. Comfortably alone, she began to sway, twist, and gyrate. She let the music pulse through her as she danced, tossing her head back, brushing her fingers through her freed hair, scraping her fingernails down the sides of her neck, squeezing her breasts, cupping herself through her jeans. She never stopped moving to the beat as she stripped, each piece of clothing getting tossed to the floor until she was delectably nude.

She wasn't dancing to an audience of none, however. In her mind's eye, it was a freckled brunette who danced, slowly gaining confidence as she listened to Steph, following her directives, letting herself stop worrying about what everyone else thought of her and just put her trust and faith in her Domme. She'd be hesitant and shy at first, eventually letting herself be swept away by the music. It would take time but she'd dance quite well, knowing the moves, knowing what Steph liked to see. They'd know each other so intimately that Steph would only need to issue one-word prompts to get Max to switch to the next set of moves. It'd become an erotic display of choreography and dance. And when the time was right, on Steph's orders, Max would pleasure herself, tugging on her nipples, groping her breasts, teasing her core, gently biting her bottom lip as she maintained eye contact. She'd blush slightly at the pure lust in Steph's eyes, always having that bit of shyness, but able to feel proud that she did this. She made her Domme feel this good. And yes, she deserved to come.

Steph panted as she worked herself to orgasm, still standing in the room, thrusting her hips forward, trying and failing to keep time with the music. She shuddered violently once, twice, her knees buckling as she came. She sank to the floor, nearly collapsing onto her bean bag chair, the cool material a shock to her flushed skin. The chair molded itself around her body, almost like a lover's embrace, as she rode the wave of pleasure to its conclusion.

The music continued unabated, now something by Deep Forest. Steph didn't move from her position on the chair for nearly half the song, content to simply lay there as she recovered. Eventually, she reached over to the scattered clothing on the floor, using her discarded shirt to wipe her hand clean, then paused. There, past her other clothes, just beneath her bed, was a small gym bag. A very private gym bag. A bag that held her collection of toys. They haven't seen much use the past few weeks but maybe...

Could she go another round? Sometimes, she could. Other times, she was way too sensitive to stand even the barest of touches. Steph bit her lip as she considered. Maybe she should discipline herself. Wait a while. Stagger out these fantasies so they'd last longer. She shifted in her seat, the jelly-like material of the chair rising up between her legs, an accidental stroke. Steph gasped at the sensation. She suddenly remembered what Max looked like as she twisted and turned in her own chair, so innocent, so enticing. What it felt like when Max squirmed against her body. She imagined Max like this, nude, half-sunk in her chair, rocking her hips against an inanimate lover. She wondered what Max might taste like.

When the current song ended and moved to the next piece, this one by ERA, Steph's decision was made for her. She rolled to one side, grabbed hold of her bag, and started working on the zipper. Tonight, it seemed, was going to be a multi-O night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this fic will never become an outright smut-fest, be warned that scenes similar to the final one here will be cropping up a bit more frequently as the story progresses. I sincerely hope no one minds.
> 
> The ASMR thing was a from-left-field addition during the planning stages of this chapter. Similar to the archery thing in chapter 16, I pulled this from my personal life as I, too, experience ASMR and quite often relax after a long day listening to YouTubers like Gentle Whispering, MassageASMR, Pelagea, Ashley Marie, and several others. I opted to incorporate ASMR in this chapter as it's something I never read in any other fic, ever, and I believe Steph's voice would be perfect for it. Plus, this would act as a unique way for Max and Steph to bond with one another, opening the door to more interactions between the two later on.
> 
> The jelly bean bag chair is my own invention. I wanted this version of Steph to have bean bag chairs in front of her entertainment center but considering the AU we're in, I also wanted something that was fetishistic. Max, of course, is clueless to the double-nature of the chairs.
> 
> Chapter 21 is still being worked on but thanks to a massive surge of creativity today, I was able to churn out about 1500 words between phone calls at work today. It's a scene between Chloe and Rachel and features the two having a no bullshit talk about Max and what their shy friend means to the both of them. ETA on the chapter is, as always, "whenever it's finished." ;-)


	21. Heavy Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays to everyone! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, or something else not listed here, be safe, be merry, and take care!

Chloe sat on the edge of her bed and took another drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke towards the fan in the window. She had turned it on after waking from her nap to air out the room a bit, then figured since she was up, and the fan was on, it was time to do some serious thinking.

She glanced over her shoulder and couldn't help but smirk. Her girlfriend was still out. It wasn't everyday that she wore out the great Rachel Amber with sex but after orgasm number three (or was it four?), Rachel had finally cried uncle. Though she made a valiant effort to return the favor, Rachel wound up conking out before she could even get started, something that filled Chloe with a sense of pride.

The smirk faded from Chloe's face. There was a reason she was able to destroy her lover so thoroughly and it was really screwing with her head.

Rachel had shocked the hell out of her when she showed up today. For reasons Chloe really didn't want to think about, the sight of Rachel playing Max hadn't just turned her on. The act had bypassed her brain and shot straight to her loins. And when she asked for hard sex? In that timid voice? Goodbye, rational thought. Hello, animalistic lust. But as much as Chloe didn't want to think about the reasons, she kind of had to. She had just shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she didn't think Rachel was enough for her. She wanted Max, too. And that was completely fucked up.

Seriously, what the hell? She loved Rachel and would never betray her. Except, she just did, didn't she? Kind of? Chloe shook her head and took another puff. Had she been letting out weird I-Want-SuperMax-Ass vibes and didn't even know it? Had Rachel detected those vibes and decided to test Chloe's faithfulness? If so, Chloe had utterly failed.

Chloe stared at the smoke rising from the tip of her cigarette as she pondered the situation. If this really was a weird-ass faith test (and having never experienced one before, Chloe had no idea what to make of it), why hadn't Rachel called her out on it? She hadn't said shit. Instead, she played right along and seemed to rather enjoy it, if her moans, shouts, and screams were any indication. Interestingly, Rachel had been about as passive as Chloe had ever seen her in bed, letting Chloe ravish her body any way she saw fit: masturbating her through those tight-ass jeans while using her lips, tongue, and teeth on every other part of Rachel's upper body; peeling the pants off just far enough for Chloe to finish the job with her fingers; stripping the jeans off completely before throwing Rachel's legs over her shoulders and diving between her thighs; finally whipping out the strap-on and taking her doggie style until Rachel begged for mercy.

It was a fucking great night. It was a great night of fucking, even.

Another long drag took the cigarette nearly to the filter. If Rachel was going to get pissed at Chloe, why did she whisper words of love and thanks before passing out? If this wasn't a test, then what was it? A fantasy? Chloe blinked as she considered this new angle. Maybe. It certainly made more immediate sense than a faith test. Not like they hadn't done some roleplaying before. But whose fantasy was this, exactly? If this was Chloe's secret fantasy, it was so fucking secret even she wasn't aware of it. So, maybe it was Rachel's fantasy to be Max for a day? To have sex with Chloe as Max?

Chloe crushed out the cigarette in her ashtray and ran her fingers through her hair. Maybe not. There was no way for Rachel to know in advance that Chloe would just attack her like that. Put that on the back burner. Reconsider the evidence. Not a faith test. Perhaps a different kind of test, then. Okay, that had some promise. A test for…?

A soft, warm hand on her bare back interrupted her musing. Chloe couldn't help but smile as she felt Rachel lift herself from the bed and come close, placing soft kisses along her back, shoulder, the side of her neck. Long hair fell across her shoulder as Rachel leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Chloe's torso. "Hey, babe."

"Hey, yourself," was Chloe's easy reply. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I just got fucked by a goddess." Rachel grinned as she pressed closer to Chloe. "You were amazing. I might have a limp tomorrow."

"I hope not. We have plans, remember?"

"Mmm-hmm. Max is going to be so damn surprised! I can't wait to see her face."

Subtlety and subterfuge were certainly not Chloe's strong suits. So when Rachel mentioned Max's name, she couldn't help but tense up a fraction. And being this close to each other, physically and emotionally, Rachel noticed immediately. "Babe, what's wrong?"

For a brief moment, Chloe considered changing the subject or not saying anything but discarded the ideas as soon as they came to her. That wasn't how they rolled. Not anymore. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "No bullshit?"

The question made Rachel pause a moment, before she nodded. "Always."

"Okay." Chloe cleared her throat. She was brave enough to bring up The Issue but wasn't quite brave enough to face Rachel. Not yet. "I've been up for a while now, thinking. Wondering if you were gonna be pissed at me. For how I acted."

Rachel blinked. "How you…? I'm confused. What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you came here dressed as Max and I, well, took you hard." She finally turned to face Rachel, seeing understanding cross her features. "I was worried that maybe you were testing my faithfulness or some bullshit like that but the more I thought about it, the less sense that made. Why test me at all when we always talked things out before?" Chloe shifted in her seat, confusion visible on her face. "And then I kept thinking that I betrayed you by getting so turned on in the first place."

"Shit, babe, no. No, no." Rachel reached forward and held Chloe's face with both hands. "You didn't betray me. Hell no. That never occurred to me, not even once. I have complete faith in you." She leaned forward. "I love you, Chloe. You mean everything to me. And if I did something as stupid as put your faithfulness to the test, that would be me betraying you, not the other way around."

At Rachel's words, Chloe could feel most of the tension leave her body. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay." She grinned as she opened her eyes again. "Love you, too."

Rachel smiled, touched, as always, when Chloe said those magic words. She leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss, brushing her cheeks with her thumbs as she did so. She lingered there, teasing Chloe's lips with her own, not to entice, but rather to soothe. Chloe kissed her back before nibbling her bottom lip, causing the two to start giggling. Soon, they were smiling too much to keep kissing so instead, they just held each other close.

Eventually, they laid back down on the bed, Chloe on her back, Rachel curled against her side. They pulled a sheet up to protect them from the slight draft caused by the fan. Neither wanted to leave the comfort of the bed just yet.

Rachel shifted slightly and screwed up her own courage. "Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"No bullshit."

Chloe brushed her fingertips up and down Rachel's back. "Hit me."

"Maybe I was kind of testing things but not you. Well, kinda you but also kinda me? Not faithfulness, though, 'cause that's just stupid."

"Okay." Another long stroke of her fingertips. "What were you testing, then?"

"To see if you liked Max." Rachel felt Chloe freeze and turned her head to kiss her girlfriend's chest, collarbone, and neck. "Shh, it's okay. That's not an accusation. It's just that I'm starting to think I maybe like her, too? Like, like-like her."

"That's a lot of likes there."

Rachel snorted but couldn't fight off the grin. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah." Chloe took a deep breath and let it out. "And I suppose it's safe to admit that maybe I do?" She huffed out a breath. "Feels kinda weird to say that when we're both curled up naked next to each other."

"Trust me, I agree. But, better to talk it out now than make things awkward later, right?"

"Damn straight."

The pair fell silent again. Rachel waited patiently, sensing that Chloe was thinking and didn't want to interrupt. She turned her head and placed soft kisses where she could reach as gentle encouragement.

After another minute of silence, Chloe sighed. "Yeah, I think I do like-like Max, to borrow your phrase. Is that fucked up? I keep thinking that that means I'm betraying you or that I think you're not enough for me."

"Betrayal would be you cheating on me with Max. This is you and me talking about like-liking her. I'm not planning on cheating and I know you're not either."

"Fuck no."

Rachel gave Chloe a gentle pat on the stomach. "No problems, then. And do you feel guilty for like-liking Max?"

"We seriously have to stop with all the likes," Chloe grumbled. "It's gonna drive me insane."

Rachel placed a quick kiss on Chloe's cheek and grinned. "Sorry, babe. I'll do better."

Chloe snorted but grinned. "That'll be the day. And to answer your question... no?" Chloe squirmed a bit. "But I should, right?"

"I think," Rachel began slowly as she worked out the phrasing, "the reason you don't might be the same as me. It's not a matter of us not being good enough for each but rather a natural progression of feelings, both yours and mine."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were friends with Max for a long time, before she moved. You loved her deeply, even if only platonically. That never went away. The proof is just how fast you and she became friends again when she returned. You loved her then, as a friend. You love her now, as a friend. I love her as a friend. We spend a lot of time together, all three of us." Rachel leaned up and gave Chloe another kiss. "Pretend for a second that we aren't a couple and think on how you feel when we're all hanging out together, being as close as we are. Would it actually come as any surprise to fall for Max?" Rachel shrugged. "The only oddity in this case is we're already a couple. Everything else is identical."

"Hmm." Chloe tossed the idea around her head a bit. When Rachel spelled it out like that, it did make sense. Spend that much time around someone as nice and sweet and just plain awesome as Max, someone that cute and available and quietly gay, yeah, okay, she could see it. She tilted her head down a bit to look Rachel in the eyes. "So, why the get-up, exactly? We coulda just talked it out."

"Honestly, all of this was a spur of the moment idea. It started this morning, in a way." Rachel laid her head back down on Chloe's chest. "Remember how I told you about me sending Max that picture of you?"

"Yeah." Chloe smirked. "That must've blown her mind."

"You're right, it did. But, not the way we thought it would."

Chloe made an inquisitive noise as she stroked her hand down Rachel's back once more.

"This morning, Rachel continued, "I went to Max's room to get my clothes from her, the ones I loaned her on Tuesday so she'd have something to wear after that whole thing happened. I figured she'd would've washed them by now and I was out of clean stuff. But when I went to take them, she tried to stop me. Said they weren't clean enough even though it was obvious they'd been washed. When I made a joke about it, she nearly had a panic attack."

"What, really?"

Rachel nodded. "I knew something was up so after I calmed her down, I asked her about it. She admitted the photo got her super turned on to the point that she couldn't even wait to take off her pants before rubbing one out."

Chloe's grin could probably be seen from the moon. "Go, Maximus!"

Rachel swallowed heavily. "That's what I thought, too, but not Max. She felt so guilty afterwards. She thought she'd ruined my clothes." Rachel lifted her head, pain in her eyes. "Babe, she thought what she did was terrible. Unforgivable. She broke down crying, right there in her room. She fully expected me to hate her for it." Her voice grew tight. "For the 'crime' of touching herself. Months, she said. The first time in months that she'd pleasured herself and she thought I'd hate her for it."

"Goddamn." This time, it was Rachel who needed a soothing touch. Chloe wrapped both arms around her girlfriend and pulled her close. She couldn't believe it. Their little hipster friend seriously thought Rachel would hate her? Just for that? No wonder Rachel was upset. She was a very tactile and physical person who needed to touch and be touched. She enjoyed sex and loved sharing physical intimacy with those she adored, through hugs, kisses, caresses, and hand holding. To witness Max breakdown over something that should've been immensely gratifying must've been seriously distressing to her.

But not as upsetting as it was to Max, apparently. Chloe gave Rachel a kiss on her forehead. "What happened next?" she asked softly.

"I held her close, like you're holding me. Calmed her down. I told her she did nothing wrong and that getting off on hot pics of you was perfectly fine. But I could tell she didn't quite believe me. Like she was still expecting the other shoe to drop. So, I tried something different."

"You put on her clothes."

Rachel nodded again. "I figured it'd be a lot faster to flip the situation around than just talk more, so I asked her to close her eyes, then got dressed. And it worked. She was so caught off-guard that she forgot to keep feeling bad. And then, I made her imagine me getting turned on and masturbating in her clothes. I asked her if the thought grossed her out or was intriguing instead."

"And what'd she say to that?"

"Nothing." Rachel suddenly grinned. "Too intriguing, I'd wager."

Chloe snorted. "Egotist."

Rachel nipped Chloe's neck in response. "Watch it, you."

"Fine." Chloe resumed her earlier ministrations and brushed her hand down Rachel's back. "What made you decide to keep wearing her stuff all day?"

"It was really close to first period when we got done talking so there wasn't time to change. And afterwards, I forgot about it. Steph pointed it out when I arrived in Theater but by that point, the day was nearly finished and there wasn't a point in changing. It wasn't until after Steph and I chatted that I got the idea to surprise you like I did. So, it was kind of a happy accident that I forgot and never changed back."

"Must've been an interesting conversation if that's what gave you the idea."

"It was, actually. Steph's crushing on Max."

"I wondered about that," Chloe said. "She'd always ask about her when we got together."

"We talked about it. She said she's been interested since orientation but hasn't been able to really approach her since they don't share any classes. When I encouraged her to go for it, she said she didn't want to ask Max out because she saw I liked her, too."

Chloe blinked. "Really?"

"Really. It felt weird to hear her say it. Not bad, though, just weird. In retrospect, it was something that had been percolating in the back of my head but I didn't notice it until she called me out. It got me thinking. Do I really like-like Max? And if I did, why didn't that bug me like it should? I mean, I love you. So fucking much. I should feel terrible about having a roaming eye, right? So what's the deal?"

The pair fell silent as each thought about what the other said, trying to figure things out. Chloe broke the silence first. "So, all of this was a spur of the moment deal to test the waters?"

"Yes."

"But not a test of faith."

"No, definitely not. More like, opening the door to this conversation, leading to a very important question."

"Which is...?"

Rachel lifted herself from Chloe's side to look her in the eyes and placed a gentle hand on Chloe's chest, above her heart. "If you like Max and that doesn't make you feel guilty, and I like Max and don't feel guilty, and we both collectively decide we like Max and there's no guilt, then would it be so terrible to be with Max, too? All three of us? Like, a trio?"

Chloe blinked. "I..." She blinked again. "Is that even possible?"

"Sure. There are a lot of poly groups out there, happily in relationships with each other. Some are even officially recognized. Typically, it's a Dom and a pair or more of subs but I've heard of others, too."

Chloe chewed her lip a bit. "But, would that work for us? Could you and I and Max make things work? And what about Steph? You said you encouraged her to go after Max. I don't want to destroy our friendship with Steph by ruining her chances with Max."

"Honestly, I don't know if you, me, and Max would ultimately work. On paper, sure, it looks great. A Domme, a switch, and a sub. But as you know, all relationships require effort from all parties to work. We do that already. All this means is we'd have to include Max on the decision making, too. If she'd even be interested in the first place, something we'd have to ask her.

"As for Steph," Rachel continued, "I completely agree. If we decide we want to try for Max, we'd absolutely tell her first. She's our best friend and deserves to know. But at the same time, I still want Steph to go for Max. I gave her the go ahead for a reason: she deserves to be happy just as much as anyone and I think they'd be great for each other.

"I told Steph something this afternoon that definitely applies here: it's not a matter of who asks Max out but rather who would ultimately make her happy. Max is such a sweetheart. She really deserves happiness. And I sincerely think that Steph would be a good Domme to Max and a great friend. Same with Kate. Same with me and you. Hell, you or me would also work but we're a package deal. We're in this together or we're not in it at all."

Rachel fell silent, having said her piece, and laid her head back down. She waited patiently for Chloe's response. This was a serious matter to consider and as much as Rachel did want to give the trio thing a try, she'd never act without Chloe.

Chloe, in the meantime, pondered the points Rachel gave her, weighing the pros and the cons, wondering what it'd be like to have Max, not just as a friend, but a lover and a sub. She pictured herself domming Max, pictured her and Rachel double-teaming Max, pictured her and Max subbing for Rachel. Holy shit, that all sounded good. There was just one thing. "I have a condition."

"Shoot."

"If Steph feels she can't get a clean shot at Max because we're also pursuing her, we stop. I won't risk our friendship with her by seemingly turning this into a two against one fight for Max's affection."

Rachel lifted herself up and gave Chloe a warm, loving smile. It was one of her most defining traits, to always be looking out for her friends. "Absolutely. Steph is critically important to us both. And even if we can't pursue Max, she's already such a close friend, too. We won't lose that just because Steph wins her, I know it."

Chloe nodded. "I agree."

"This is so exciting!" Rachel nearly squealed. "Sorry, babe, but I'm getting pumped. Can you imagine what it'd be like to date Max properly? To woo her, win her? Have her join us?" Rachel hooked a leg over Chloe's body and lifted herself up so she was straddling her blue-haired punk. "Only time will tell if things will actually work out. But imagine us now. All three of us. Hanging out at the Rust, or here, or even my room. Like we always do. Curling up together on the couch or bed, watching something stupid on TV or the laptop, or just clowning around. You and I kiss, like so." Rachel leaned down and gave Chloe a slow, sweet kiss on the lips before pulling away. "Something we already do. How awesome would it be to lean over and kiss Max like that, too?"

"You do realize," Chloe said with a smirk, as she ran her hands up and down Rachel's thighs, "that I'm already on the same page as you. Your so-called feminine wiles are a bit overkill."

"Probably," Rachel replied with a wide smile. She then reached up and bounced her breasts in her hands. "But it never hurts to stack the deck."

Whatever Chloe was going to say in response was rudely interrupted by a stomach growling. Loudly. The two fell into shocked silence before bursting into laughter.

"Was that you or me?" Chloe snickered.

"I don't fucking know!" Rachel wiped a tear from her eye. "But no matter who it was, I'm now hungry as hell."

"Not surprised. We did skip dinner and head straight to dessert." Chloe sat up, easing Rachel into her lap. "So why don't we toss on some clothes and raid the fridge for some grub?"

"Counter idea: let's toss on some clothes and hit up the Two Whales. My treat."

"Much better idea," Chloe replied, grin adorning her face.

Neither moved for a moment, though. There was still something very important to do. Chloe reached up and cupped Rachel's face with one hand. "Thanks. For talking to me, for not getting mad."

Rachel reciprocated the gesture, her eyes softening, her expression filling with love and affection. "And thank you, too, babe. For listening and sharing with me, and for not getting upset."

It was something they did whenever they spoke about anything heavy or major. To clear the air, to make certain no hard feelings remained. To reaffirm their connection to each other. They weren't perfect. Like all couples, they had disagreements and sometimes they argued but both knew what could happen if bad feelings sat too long without being confronted. They did their best to ensure it wouldn't happen to them. Maybe they weren't always 100% successful but they did try. They loved each other too much not to.

Another stomach growl broke the tender moment. Rachel rolled her eyes as she got off of Chloe. "Okay, that was definitely you."

"No way! That was you! I even felt that one."

"You felt yourself, babe."

"Nope, nuh-uh. I felt that through my ass. That means your vibrations shook the bed."

"That's crap and you know it. And besides, I'd rather shake the bed in other ways."

"You and me both."

And like any couple deeply in love who were also best friends, they continued their good-natured bickering all the way to the diner.

 

* * *

 

A few hours after her interview with Steph, Max sat at her desk, a new journal arrayed on in front of her. She had taken a short trip to town and finally restocked her supply of granola bars and Pop-Tarts. She also managed to find a second journal at a local office supply store. Similar to her original, it was like a miniature scrapbook, meaning Max could attach photos and other foreign notes to the pages with no danger of cracking the spine. Unlike her original, though, this one would be strictly for her thoughts on being a sub and various things that she had always refused to think about before: sex and sexuality; dreams and fantasies; kinks and things that turned her on; what she thought of the Dommes that surrounded her and initial impressions on compatibility.

Max bit her lip. It was still scary to think about, overall. All this talk about sex and Dommes and subbing. Part of her, a huge part, admittedly, wanted to just take all this and shove it into a box and bury it deep. But that's what started this whole mess in the first place, right? The fact that she never gave her urges any thought or, more accurately, how horrible she always felt after indulging in her urges and how that prompted her to stop feeling them. When that had proven impossible, she suppressed them. Kept them hidden away. Refused to dwell on any thoughts of sex, being turned on, kink, any of it.

Being a shy introvert, it had always been easy for her to stay quiet about her sexual urges. And when she tested positive as a sub (a fact which surprised absolutely no one), it became even easier to explain why she never seemed to talk about sex or attempt any exploration at all. She was a sub and subs don't approach Dommes like that. At least, her kind of sub didn't. It wasn't her nature. That was the excuse she always gave and it sounded completely reasonable. No one, not even her parents, had ever questioned it.

That approach served her for years. Max couldn't say it served her _well_ for years, only that worked. Except, it didn't. Not really. She had been simply delaying a problem, letting it build until, here at Blackwell, it all came to a head.

At least now, she was getting some much needed guidance. These interviews and the subsequent reports that followed were genuinely helping her get a handle on herself. It made her answer questions she had always refused to entertain previously. About sex. About her preferences. Likes and dislikes. Well, more like proposed likes and dislikes. How was she to know what she actually liked and didn't like? She hadn't tried anything out yet and had only just started seriously considering what turned her on. There were some ideas that seemed nice and, certainly, there were some things that were visually appealing, but that wasn't enough to constitute a like, right?

Earlier, Max had printed off a large list of kinks, major and minor, and attempted a process of elimination to try and narrow things down a bit. 15 minutes later, she discarded both the plan and the list. There was just waaaaay too much stuff there, most of which she had never heard of, others that made her question her faith in humanity. So instead of trying to figure out her own kinks, Max concluded she should just be open and receptive of her hypothetical Domme's kinks and treat those as her own.

Except, that's not how it's supposed to work. Even normal relationships were two-way streets, give-and-take, et cetera, et cetera, never mind all the kinky stuff. And didn't Victoria say that Dommes and subs were supposed to talk things out beforehand, figure out what to try, set limits, and all that? That pretty much meant that Max would have to have some idea of what she wanted. Just coasting along with her Domme's kinks and desires while never offering her own would be unfair to the Domme, right?

Max groaned and hid her face in her hands. Dog, she really was clueless. But what was worse than not knowing what she wanted, was whenever she actively considered herself in regards to various kinks, they all seemed kind of... empty? No, that wasn't right. Boring? No, not that, either. Almost indifferent? It all just seemed kinda there. Interesting, perhaps, but there wasn't any spark. However, if she thought about herself in terms of subbing for a Domme that involved those same kinks, then nearly everything seemed reasonable. Appealing. Desirable.

Was this what it was like with other subs? Dammit, she should've asked Taylor when she had a chance. Maybe next time.

Max spent the next several minutes taping previously written pages into her new journal. Thoughts on Rachel. Thoughts on Victoria. Thoughts on Kate. Fresh thoughts on Steph. Dog, she was attractive. Was there a reason why she never noticed her before? Well, there was the fact that they didn't share any classes. Still, Max was glad they got to hang out today. She was so fun! And that ASMR thing was really cool, too. So pleasant and relaxing. And while Max didn't consider anything about what they did erotic in any way, after she left, she started wondering what it'd be like to listen to Steph calling out orders in that same voice and obeying them. Would her voice still give her tingles? Or would the combination of Steph's voice and obeying orders simply turn Max into a horny pile of goo?

Max caught herself squeezing her thighs together and quickly decided that she'd done enough thinking for one night.

Several minutes later, Max returned from the bathroom, having brushed her teeth and scrubbed her face clean of her meager makeup. She killed the overhead light, leaving only her string of paper lanterns to provide illumination. With the room now comfortably dim, she stripped off her clothing, dumped them in her hamper, and grabbed her sleep clothes. She gave them a quick once-over and decided they were okay for tonight but probably needed a wash soon. She made a mental note to do laundry sometime tomorrow.

After getting dressed, Max sat on the edge of her bed and reached behind her neck, undoing the knot on her collar. She took it off and held it in her hands, staring at it as her mind wandered again. During her short excursion into town, she walked past a store whose display held a multitude of sub collars. There were so many different styles and materials present: braided leather like hers; nylon, like she'd seen on dogs and cats; ones that looked like rope; stiff leather; posture collars; stainless steel; one that looked chrome. Some had rings, indicating they were slave collars. Others had a hasp for a padlock. A few were like her training collar and possessed no visible lock whatsoever. The display had mesmerized her. So many different kinds of collars for so many different kinds of subs. For several long moments, she had stared and wondered. What some would feel like if she tried them on. How it would feel to wear a real collar in public and not just her trainer. What kind of collar would be best for her. Wondered what it'd be like to wear one for a Domme. To be collared and claimed by a Domme. To present herself to a Domme. An offering. I'm yours, if you would have me.

Then, like now, she shook her head at the impossibility. That wasn't going to happen. Not now, anyway. Maybe not ever. She needed to figure herself out first. Try to discover what kind of sub she was. Learn more about the lifestyle. Stop being so ignorant about everything. No one wanted a stupid sub, after all. If she ever managed to settle on a role, then and only then could she try to find a Domme who was compatible. A Domme who wouldn't mind a pet project, who wouldn't mind damaged goods. A Domme who'd be willing to settle for second best. Maybe third.

Max sighed as she put the collar on her nightstand. Good feelings never lasted long. She glanced towards her desk, at her new journal, and her plan of jotting down thoughts, ideas, and fantasies suddenly seemed so naïve now. Puerile. Ridiculous. So what that she thought those thoughts or had those ideas? Nothing was going to come of it. Nothing ever did. It wasn't like she was good enough. It wasn't like she deserved it.

It wasn't like she was worthy.

Letting out another sigh, Max turned off the string of lights and slipped under the covers. Out of habit, she turned her head towards her photo wall, her eyes tracking to a couple of her favorites before she flipped to her side, unable to even stand looking at her failures at the moment. She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

Sleep was a long time in coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me really wanted to have this done by Christmas Day but, alas, it was not meant to be. I hope no one minds the delay too terribly much. I probably spent more time tweaking this chapter than any other to get the flow of everything just so but I think I got it right where it needs to be.
> 
> I do have some interesting news: yesterday, and by complete accident, I discovered Max's sub role. I honestly didn't think she was going to have one as it wasn't that critical to the story but while thinking about Max, her character, and my future plans for her, it suddenly came to me. And now, I can't see Max as not having a role any longer. It will be revealed in the story in due time.
> 
> Chapter 22 is already 40% complete as I was working on it in conjunction with this one. I actually had more written but wound up cutting out a bunch of stuff as the timing was just way off. I'll warn you: it starts off a bit rough for our hipster heroine but will end on a super high note.


	22. Tears of Pain, Tears of Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a longer chapter this time. I hope no one minds. As rough as it starts, it ends well. Promise.

Max aimed and took a shot.

Thock. 7 circle.

"Nice shot, Caulfield."

Max turned and smiled at Victoria who was looking gorgeous with her new, almost-warm expression. "Thanks."

She turned back and gave the guitar one last strum, the final chord sounding in the quiet of her room.

Soft clapping from her door. "You're pretty good."

Max looked up at Dana, looking so damn hot in her cheerleader uniform and gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I'm just messing around, though."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Juliet, sitting next to her on the couch, who was slowly eating a juicy cherry the same color as her lips.

“I was afraid you were ignoring me.”

Max shook her head. "I’d never do that on purpose. Sorry."

A hand fell atop hers. Turning, she saw Kate glaring at her. "You look me straight in the eye and tell me you ruined our tea date."

"I ruined our tea date." Max looked down. "Sorry."

Rachel frowned from where she stood. "You ruined my clothes."

"I'm sorry."

Taylor laughed at her. "You really don't know anything, do you."

"No. Sorry..."

Brooke snorted softly. “This is what you get for being you."

"i know. sorry..."

Nathan sneered. "You better be sorry."

"sorry..."

"Lay the fuck down already!"

Max felt hands on her shoulders as she was pushed onto her bed. "sorry..."

"Should I smack you around? Beat you with a cane?"

"yes"

"Why?"

"B-because... because--"

"Because you're slow." Steph's fingers brushed across her face. "Because you're stupid. Because you're a failure. Because you're worthless."

"...yes"

"Max?"

Max turned her head and saw Chloe approach. Beautiful, sweet, perfect Chloe. She swallowed. "...hey, Chloe."

"You left."

"sorry."

"Five years."

"sorry..."

"I thought you hated me."

"Never. I could never hate you. I hate myself." Max raised reached forward with her hand, palm up. An offering. "Chloe..."

Chloe took her hand, tenderly cradling it in her left palm. She raised her right hand and ever-so gently pressed her thumbnail into Max's exposed wrist. There was a tiny sting and blood began to flow.

Max nodded. This was the only way.

"sorry chloe"

"Sorry's not good enough."

"i know"

"You don't deserve friendship."

"...i know"

"You don't deserve forgiveness."

"...i know..."

"You don't deserve anything."

"...i know..." It was sad but Max didn't cry. She couldn't. It was true.

"What do you deserve, then?"

"...nothing..."

"Exactly. You deserve nothing. You. Are. Nothing."

Max nodded. Chloe was right. They were all right. She was such a failure. As a friend. As a sub. As a person.

She didn't deserve to live

sorry

She didn't deserve to exist

sorry

stupid ugly slow worthless fuckup

sorry

She was so tired

sorry

Tired of trying, tired of fighting, tired of being tired

sorry

her vision was fading

sorry

she closed her eyes

sorry

let out a final breath

sorry

and mercifully ceased to exist

 

* * *

 

Her eyes snapped open.

She lay on her side, right arm outstretched, palm up.

The room was dark. Empty.

No jeering faces, no mocking voices.

Nothing. Except the sound of her labored breathing.

Fresh tears began to fall.

She drew her hand back towards her body, cradling it against her chest.

A sob wracked her body.

She curled into a ball and did her best to keep it in.

To stay quiet.

To not be noticed.

To not be a bother.

A quiet whine escaped her throat.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears.

Against the pain.

Against the voices.

Against the truth.

And quietly wept.

Alone.

 

* * *

 

She hated that dream.

It wasn't the first time Max had experienced it, or something similar to it. A dream that starts off pleasant, even fun, and turns into that mess. It likely wouldn't be the last, either, unless Max made it so. But the results were always the same: sheer misery the rest of the day.

At least this time, it happened on a Saturday and not during the week. That was complete shit. To force herself to go to classes regardless of how she felt, to put on a mask of normalcy to avoid the potential questions, to keep her head ducked lower than usual so teachers wouldn't call on her and make her stutter and stammer in front of the whole class. To do everything she could to maintain her GPA and thus, her scholarship, so as to not prove to the world and her family she was just a colossal fucking waste of time and money.

Max dragged herself from the bed and mechanically stripped it of the sheets. Past experience taught her that dried tears and mucus weren't fun to lay in the following day so she forced herself to remove them. Pillowcase, too. Even if she wasn't going to wash them immediately. That required effort, something she couldn't put forth now. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe. If not, it's not like she hadn't slept on a bare mattress before. The blanket would be enough.

She dumped the soiled sheets into her laundry basket and shuffled to the couch, collapsing into one corner of it. She had no energy, no motivation, no will to do anything other than sit and stare at nothing.

Nothing.

Max let out a shuddering sigh. She fucking hated that dream. She told herself that shit every-fucking-day. She didn't need her dreams to do it, too. But, they did. Reminding her that no matter what, she was a fuckup. That it was stupid to hope. Useless to pretend things would be okay. Because they wouldn't be. Not for her. Because no matter how hard she tried, she was bound to screw things up. That's what she did. That's all she did. She'd forget her friends and abandon them in their time of need. She'd be too stupid and scared to call or write or text. She'd be hated by them. And if it seemed like they didn't hate her, then she'd just hate herself even more.

She deserved it.

Max wasn't sure how long she sat there on the couch but eventually, the growing pressure on her bladder forced her to awareness. Max blinked, seeing the sunlight streaming in the window. Dawn was barely breaking when she first woke up and now it was bright outside. Had she really just spent over three hours on the couch being completely fucking useless?

Yes. Yes she had.

Max sighed as she stood. Her body ached and she was exhausted but that didn't matter. She started towards her door, paused halfway there, then sighed and grabbed hold of her shower caddy. Might as well try to get somewhat clean. Her heart wasn't in it but she'd been lazy enough so far. No reason to be filthy as well as stupid.

Working on autopilot, Max trudged to the bathroom and took care of business. After flushing, she went to her preferred shower stall, turned on the water, and as soon as the water was warm enough, stepped inside.

The spray soaked her clothing in seconds. Only then did Max realize she hadn't disrobed, just walked into the shower like a moron. She didn't have the energy to sigh in disgust. Just another example of being a fuckup. She stripped out of the wet clothes, letting them fall into a soggy pile in one corner, then let the water cascade over her body.

After several minutes of just standing there, she reached up and scrubbed the crud and salt from her eyes with her hands and ran her fingers through her hair. It felt greasy but she didn't have it in her to wash it properly. Instead, she reached into her caddy and grabbed a bar of soap. Her lazy soap. What she used when she was either in a rush or just couldn't be bothered to give a damn. She used the bar directly on her skin, scrubbing it across her arms, chest, legs, body, letting the water rinse the suds clean as she went. Her hands were her washcloth as she scrubbed her face again. She used the bar directly in her hair, half-heartedly scrubbing there as well, wincing only slightly when she tugged a knot free.

When she was finished, she dropped the soap back into her caddy and stood there beneath the spray once more. No thoughts in her head now. Just the numbness of mind-static that came and went at times. Unpleasant, but preferable to the voices.

Max shivered. She blinked, realizing she had wasted so much time in the shower that the water had finally gotten cold. She twisted the knob to the off position and stood in the stall, shivering again from the cold but not moving for a moment. Even freezing as she was, she had to work herself up to get going again. When she finally reached for her towel, though, her hand met air.

No towel.

She forgot her towel. Max turned and looked at the pile of wet clothes in one corner of the shower stall. No clothes. No towel. This time, she did let out a shuddering sigh of disgust as she closed her eyes and slowly thumped her head against the shower wall.

Again.

Stupidstupidstupid

And again.

Stupidstupidstupid

And again.

Naked. Wet. Cold. Stupid. Can't even shower like a normal human being. How fucking pathetic.

Max shivered as she stood in the stall, trying to figure out what to do now. Maybe put her wet clothes back on. She was soaked anyway. Maybe just walk back to her room like this. Not like she hadn't already done something equally stupid once already. Maybe she could just wait here. Wait until she caught a cold. Caught pneumonia. Got hypothermia. Froze to death. That'd be fine, too, right? What else was a worthless, stupid, pathetic sub like her supposed to do?

The sound of the bathroom door opening interrupted her thoughts. A soft humming echoed off the tiled walls. A sweet voice. Angelic.

Kate.

It was a tune Max had heard before, some hymn that she couldn't remember the name of but sounded so lovely when Kate played it on violin. It was even better from Kate herself. Max closed her eyes and listened. The melody cut through the fog in Max's head and before she knew it, she had cleared her throat.

The humming stopped. "Max?"

"Hey, K-Kate. Um." Max swallowed and peeked around her shower curtain. "C-can I bother you f-for a t-towel? I for-g-got mine."

"Oh, my goodness! Of course! I'll be right back."

Kate left and returned quickly, towel in hand. "Here you go," she said, handing it past the shower curtain to Max's waiting hand.

"T-Thanks." Max toweled herself dry which partly helped with feeling so cold, though she still shivered. She wrapped the damp towel around her body and opened the curtain. "I'll wash it later t-today for you, o-k-kay?" Her gaze was fixed to the floor so she wouldn't have to see the disappointment on Kate's face. Just like in her dream.

Disappointment was the last thing Kate would ever think, though. Whatever she was going to say in reply to Max died on her lips the moment she saw the abject misery radiating from her. Abandoning her earlier plans, Kate reached forward and clasped Max's hand tightly. "Come with me, please."

Kate hurried Max out of the bathroom, expecting no protest and receiving none. She opened her dorm door and brought Max inside and had her stand in the middle of the room. "Wait here a moment, please."

Max fidgeted a bit with the towel, wondering what Kate was doing behind her. Wondering what she was doing in Kate's room. She didn't want to bother her friend so early and on a Saturday, either. Before she could attempt to apologize, though, she felt hands reach from behind and strip the towel from her body.

That was unexpected.

Before Max could even start feeling embarrassed, Kate was bundling Max into a thick, fluffy bathrobe. She gently worked Max's arms into the sleeves and cinched it closed, protecting Max's modesty. Kate then wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and ushered her onto the couch.

"Please sit and wait here a moment longer."

"Um, okay."

This time, Max watched Kate move about the room, opening her bottom dresser drawer and withdrawing a blanket? Max blinked. Kate was doing too much. She'd be fine. "Um, you don't ha--"

"Shush." Kate stepped back to the couch and draped the blanket over Max's shoulders. "You're cold and not feeling well. I'm taking care of you."

"Oh." Max watched as Kate took a cord and plugged it into an extension cord that ran underneath the couch, only then realizing that Kate was using an electric blanket. She shifted. "I--"

Kate reached forward and gently pressed her index finger against Max's lips, silencing the apology before it was even voiced. "Shush," she repeated to her startled friend. She starting making minor adjustments to the blanket and robe, making sure Max was tucked in. "Before you say anything, I want you to consider something: if you were in the bathroom about to brush your teeth and saw me exit the showers, cold, wet, and miserable, would you simply hand me a towel and let me walk away? Or would you intervene and do everything you could to try to help?"

Max swallowed. "Of course I'd help."

Kate gave her a gentle smile. "In that case, why do you think I shouldn't do the same for you?"

Max had no response to that. Nothing verbal, anyway. But she knew why. Kate was an angel. She was wonderful. She was a close friend. She deserved the world. Max, though, was Max. The idiot. No one important. Nothing. She deserved her misery.

A soft hand on her cheek snapped Max back to awareness. She blinked, noticing Kate had leaned in quite close and was looking at her with a concerned expression. Some part of her appreciated the gesture. The rest of her didn't want to be a bother. She looked away with a whispered, "Sorry."

Kate said nothing as she watched her friend mentally curl into herself. This was bad. Really bad. She had seen Max depressed before, knew that she suffered from it, but she hadn't seen her get this bad before. Kate desperately wanted to help but had to be careful not to push in the wrong direction. That would cause Max to plummet even further.

After a moment, Kate came up with an idea. She brushed her thumb against Max's cheek, catching her attention again, and gave her a soft smile. "I was about to make myself a nice cup of morning tea. I'll make you one as well." She purposely didn't phrase it as a question, not wanting to give Max an opportunity to decline.

After a long moment, Max nodded slightly. "Okay."

Kate rose from the couch and began taking out her things for tea: electric kettle, two cups and saucers, a couple of spoons. She placed them on the coffee table and turned back to the cabinet. She didn't bother with the pot this time as she was going to make them separate blends. To that end, she turned back to Max. "This may sound like an odd question but are you currently taking any prescribed medications?"

Max blinked. "No."

Kate nodded. "Thank you." She went back to the cabinet and grabbed a couple of teas and her container of sugar cubes. "I'm going to make myself a cup of English breakfast because, well, it's breakfast." She grinned and felt a small bit of relief when Max gave her a tiny smile in return. "You once told me you've had St. John's wort before, correct?"

"Yes," was Max's quiet reply.

"I have a blend here that I think would be perfect so I'll make you a cup." Again, she didn't make phrase it as a question.

As Kate had hoped, Max nodded. "Okay. Um. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Kate went to work, preparing the tea. The entire time, her mind was racing. Considering options, debating different approaches, shifting plans. Plans! She had to let Rachel and Chloe know what was going on so they could make their own re-arrangements. She bit her lip. It was early yet so there was likely still time. She'd try to text Rachel but not now. Max needed her complete and undivided attention. Texting in front of her would likely send the wrong message: "this person I'm texting is more important than you," something that Max didn't need right now.

As she turned on the electric kettle, Kate had a sudden brainstorm. She turned back to Max and gave her another gentle smile. "Feeling warmer now?"

Max cleared her throat. "Yes. Thank you."

"Good." Kate walked over to Alice's cage and opened the door. "Now, while the water heats, I'm going to step back to the bathroom and collect your things." She carefully lifted Alice from the cage and brought her to Max. "And while I do that, I have a very important task for you to do for me: bunny pats."

Max blinked. "Bunny pats?" she repeated.

"Yes," Kate replied with a firm nod. "I always give Alice plenty of head pats, neck scritches, and back rubs in the morning. I hereby delegate this task to you. Will you accept this most important and solemn of duties?" she asked in an overly serious voice.

Kate's plan worked. Max smiled a bit wider this time. "I do." She shifted slightly to give Alice a lap to lay on and gently took the bunny from Kate's hands. She let Alice nestle into her lap before slowly raising her hand, letting the bunny see it, and gently gave her back a soft stroke. Seeing no protest, Max repeated the motion a few times and was rewarded with a light clicking of the teeth.

Seeing Max start to lose herself in her ministrations, Kate smiled. She quickly slipped her phone into the pocket of her pajama pants. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Max didn't look up but considering she was still smiling, Kate didn't mind at all. She left her dorm and hurried to the bathroom, unlocking her phone as she went. Once inside, she muted her phone, and fired off a message to Rachel.

 **Kate**  
Max is with me. Extremely depressed. Unsure what happened. Trying to help now.

 **Kate**  
Phone is silenced. Max doesn't need to think texts are more important than her. Will respond when able.

Pocketing her phone, she looked inside the stall Max used and saw the caddy and the pile of wet clothing. She took the clothing and gave them a quick wring to get rid of the excess water. She placed them onto Max's caddy and grabbed everything, then made her way to Max's room.

Once inside, she placed the caddy on the floor next to the dresser and dropped the wet clothing onto the pile of clothes in the hamper. Pulling out her phone, she was gratified that Rachel was already up and responding.

 **Rachel**  
Oh, shit. She gonna be okay?

 **Rachel**  
I know she'll be okay because you're with her but please take good care of her.

 **Rachel**  
Wait.

 **Rachel**  
Should we cancel?

 **Kate**  
Absolutely not. I have a feeling Max will need this now more than ever. However, we may have to bump the time up.

 **Rachel**  
Got it. You text us when you're able and when you think Max is ready.

 **Rachel**  
And let us know if there's anything we can do.

 **Kate**  
I will. Thanks for understanding.

With that, Kate pocketed her phone and left Max's room. Right before she re-entered her room, she paused, closed her eyes, and said a quick prayer, asking for guidance, for healing upon Max. She nodded her head, took a deep breath, and gently opened her door.

As she had hoped, Max hadn't moved from her position on the couch, still petting Alice. She looked up when Kate came back inside and gave her friend an apologetic look leaning towards morose. "Sorry, Kate."

"What happened?" Kate asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Um. I didn't realize it until it was too late but Alice..." Max lifted her right arm and revealed the hem of sleeve had been slightly chewed.

Kate smiled. "No need to apologize, Max. Take a look at the other sleeve." As Max did so, Kate continued. "Alice may be a bunny but she's also a ninja when it comes to chewing on sleeves. I always have to make sure I'm not wearing my cardigans when I pet her during the day because of that."

"Really?"

"Oh, most definitely. Such a naughty bunny." Kate reached down and picked Alice up off Max's lap, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Spoiled rotten, too. But, you gotta love her." She placed Alice on the floor. "I'm going to prepare breakfast for her, then our tea. The water is nearly ready."

"Okay."

As Kate got Alice's bowl and poured out a small portion of food for Alice, she kept an eye on Max. She was gratified to see Max a bit more at ease, watching Alice hop around the room, though her posture remained slumped. Kate wasn't sure what caused Max's descent into depression but was determined to help. She had been fine when Kate last saw her but literally anything could have happened in the interim. Hopefully, the tea blend she had chosen for Max would help uplift her enough to talk about it.

Several quiet minutes later, after Alice had been fed and allowed free reign of the room, Kate sat beside Max on the couch. Sometimes, Alice demanded playtime right after breakfast but today, she seemed content to explore on her own, giving Kate plenty of time to be with her friend. Kate kept a careful eye on Max as they both sipped their respective teas, watching for any sign that the blend was having a positive effect on Max.

A few moments later, Max leaned forward to set her cup and saucer on the coffee table, then tilted her head left and right, soft pops audible as she cracked her neck, working the stiffness from it. She then stretched her arms above her head, a couple more pops sounding from her spine. She relaxed from her stance with a soft sigh, then turned to face Kate. "Thank you for the tea. I think it really hit the spot."

"You're welcome." Kate placed her cup and saucer on the table as well. "Was the flavor okay?"

"It was. A bit stronger than I'm used to, definitely earthy, but not bad." Max eyed her empty cup. "I'm glad I followed your recommendation to have a lump of sugar with it."

"Well, you know what they say about a spoonful of sugar."

Max caught Kate's smile and responded with small one of her own. "It helps the medicine go down."

"Exactly."

The smile slowly fell from Max's face. She sighed. "I'm sorry for bothering you so early on a Saturday."

"What was it I said to you earlier? Oh, that's right." Kate leaned forward and placed her index finger on Max's lips. "Shush." She gave Max a warm smile. "No apologies to me, Max. None at all. I'm glad I could help." Kate released her finger and shifted to face Max fully, curling her leg onto the couch, knee brushing Max's leg. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here. If you'd rather enjoy some peace and quiet, I'm perfectly content with that, too. If you'd like to pet Alice again, I'm sure I can wrangle her up."

Max turned and looked around the room, spotting Alice as she lay partially beneath Kate's bed. The bunny's ears twitched, like she was aware of her name being called. Max couldn't help but smile again. "I think Alice is enjoying her freedom too much at the moment."

Kate hummed. "You're probably right. Trying to grab her now might result in some bunny pouts later. Have you ever seen a bunny pout? It's not a pretty sight. Best avoid the possibility all together."

Max let out a quiet snort of amusement. It was nice to just be here and listen to Kate. Everything about Kate's room and her demeanor just put Max at ease. Maybe... it'd be okay to talk to her. She fidgeted slightly as she worked up her nerve. Sometimes, coming up with the right words was hard. Words that wouldn't sound stupid, words that wouldn't annoy or irritate. At least Kate was someone who would wait if Max took a little while. She really appreciated that about Kate, more than she could or would ever say aloud.

Eventually, she cleared her throat. "I had a dream. Um. A bad one. It, uh, started out okay. Nice, even. There was Victoria, complimenting me about archery. Dana saying nice things about my playing the guitar. Juliet showed up, too. Um." Max shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "And then… Um…"

Kate waited but it seemed like Max was stuck on something distressing. She reached forward and placed a comforting hand on Max's. "Take your time. You don't have to force it. I'm here for you."

Max glanced over at Kate but didn't see her concern or her kindness. Instead, she saw Kate from her dream, glaring at her, accusation on her lips. Max couldn't help it: she flinched.

Kate noticed. She slowly lifted her hand from Max's so they weren't touching but stayed close. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. "I hurt you."

The words snapped Max's attention back to Kate. "Wha-- No! You didn't hurt me."

"Not here," Kate shook her head. "Not just now. I mean in your dream. I hurt you. I caused you pain."

Max ducked her head low and curled into herself, body tense. After several long moments, she nodded very slightly. "You told me to look you in the eyes," she said with a whisper, "and tell you I ruined our tea date. I did. And I apologized. But it wasn't enough. It's never enough. I'm sorry, I'm always sorry, and it's pathetic but it's never enough. It never will be.

"And then, everyone started showing up. Rachel. Brooke. Nathan. Taylor. Victoria. Steph. They were accusing me and making fun of me and I kept apologizing but they just wouldn't stop. And then Chloe showed up, the one I abandoned for five years, the one who should hate me the most and she said I don't deserve forgiveness or friendship or anything and they're all right it's all true, I'm a terrible person, a stupid sub, dumb, ugly, worthless and I don't deserve anything, I'm nothing, nothing nothing nothingnothingnothing--"

Kate couldn't stand to hear another word. She reached forward and pulled Max into her arms, holding her friend close as she cried. She stroked Max's head, whispered calming words, even if Max couldn't hear them. Sobs wracked Max's body but she barely made any noise, like no matter how much pain she was in, she couldn't afford to cry out loud. Instead, curled herself into a ball, gasping for breath between sobs, and buried her face between her knees. She didn't clutch at Kate, wouldn't hold her at all, as if denying herself even that tiny speck of human contact. Max suffered alone.

Except, she wasn't alone. She had Kate. She couldn't recognize that fact yet but as Max cried, Kate cradled her. Rocked her softly. Whispered words of comfort, of love. She prayed. For Max. For strength to help her friend. For anything that would help. And when Kate blinked the tears from her own eyes and looked up, she saw her music stand in one corner. The hymnal resting on it. And she knew what she could do.

Kate cleared her throat. Swallowed the lump that lodged there. And softly began to sing.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me~  
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see."

It wasn't perfect. Her heart ached too much for the hymn to be sung well. But she poured everything she had into the lyrics, to bring peace and comfort. When her voice failed, cracking from the pain she felt for her beloved friend, she hummed. And when she finished with that hymn, she moved onto others. Songs that had soothed her own anguish in years past and had helped her sisters with theirs.

She never once let go.

 

* * *

 

Max had fallen asleep in her arms.

Kate wasn't certain how much time had passed but it didn't really matter. Max deserved some actual rest. She eased herself from the couch and, thanks to years of experience helping her two sisters, gently laid Max down on the couch without waking her and tucked a throw blanket around her. She then placed a hand on Max's brow, closed her eyes, and said another quick prayer, thanking God for his assistance and asked for His blessings upon Max that she would have pleasant dreams as she napped. She finished by placing a gentle kiss on Max's forehead.

Rising from the couch, Kate grabbed some tissues and softly blew her nose and wiped her eyes. She did some mental calculations. While she was loathe to leave Max alone for any length of time, she really needed to use the bathroom herself. Plus, there were Rachel and Chloe to consider, both of whom were probably crawling up the walls, anxious for any word about Max. She needed to talk to them, in person if they were at Blackwell, and tell them what she discovered. Then, they all could work together and figure out the best way to help Max.

Kate wasn't certain about any long-term solutions but short-term? The best thing she could think of was already planned for this afternoon. It just needed a couple of minor tweaks. Maybe…? Hmm. And perhaps... Kate nodded to herself. Yes, that would be perfect.

Patting her pocket to ensure she still had her phone on her, Kate quietly left her dorm. It was time to call in reinforcements.

 

* * *

 

May lay back on a lawn chair, utterly relaxed, the heat from the afternoon sun making her lethargic and mellow. Alice rested on her chest, eyes closed, completely asleep. Max raised her hand and gently pet the bunny again, enjoying the feeling of soft fur beneath her fingers. She sighed happily. She couldn't remember where she was or how long she had been here but right now, none of that was important. It had been way too long since she felt this at ease and she was determined to enjoy it.

Faintly, Max started hearing something in the background. It wasn't disturbing. Rather, it added to the relaxed mood. Max closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly in the direction of the noise. Music? Yes, music. Soft and pleasant. Soothing. Angelic.

Kate.

Max smiled. Kate was such a wonderful person, a great friend. Not that Rachel and Chloe and Steph and everyone else were bad or anything. Far from it. They were all perfect, just in different, perfect ways. Like they all fit so well into Max's life for many different reasons. How'd that happen, anyway?

Max shrugged. Not important. She let out a quiet, happy sigh again and listened. To Kate's voice. To the song. It wasn't a hymn this time but something classical. Melodic. Just like Kate's voice. Simply perfect. And just what she needed right now.

Slowly, Max woke from her slumber, awareness trickling into her consciousness. She was warm. A blanket. She wasn't on a lawn chair but a couch. It felt different than hers, which meant she was in someone else's room. She could still hear Kate's lovely voice. That probably meant she was in Kate's room. Her fingers twitched, feeling Alice's soft fur beneath her hands. A bit too soft, though. Max ran her fingers through the fur again, now realizing it wasn't fur at all. Or, at least, not Alice's fur. It was strangely familiar, though, and it brought her a sense of comfort and companionship. She smiled to herself as she hugged the Captain close, thankful for whomever it was that brought him to her.

Kate. It had to be Kate.

Max finally opened her eyes, blinking a bit to clear her vision. She turned her head and saw Kate seated nearby, behind her easel, pencil in hand, another tucked behind her ear. As she watched, Kate lifted her arm and added a few strokes to whatever she was working on. All the while, she hummed that pleasant melody, a small smile on her face.

It was perfect. Dog, Max wished she had her camera right about now.

Figuring it was time to get up (wake up?), Max shifted on the couch and started to lift herself upright. The movement caught Kate's attention who rose from her chair and came over to Max. "Good morning, Max."

"Morning, Kate." Max blinked. "Um, it is still morning, right?"

"It is." Kate went over to her mini-fridge and got a bottle of water. "It's closer to brunch than breakfast but on a Saturday, no one's counting."

"Okay."

Kate handed Max the water. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Max opened the bottle, suddenly realizing just how damn thirsty she was. She proceeded to guzzle nearly the entire bottle in one go. "Whoa," Max gasped out when she was finished. "Wow. Thanks. Didn't realize how much I needed that."

"You're quite welcome. It's actually really good for you to drink some water after waking up since you lose plenty of fluids throughout the night."

"I believe it. I was parched."

Kate sat down next to Max and turned to face her. "And how are you feeling?"

Max considered the question. How was she feeling? She blinked as the answer came to her. "Better," she said, almost surprised. "Much better than, um... I mean--" She paused when Kate reached forward with both hands, palms up. An invitation. One she couldn't ever refuse. She slipped both her hands in Kate's and felt herself relax when her hands were gently squeezed.

"I'm glad to hear that. I had hoped the tea and some actual rest would do wonders for you, and it seems it did." Kate ran her thumbs over the back of Max's hands. "I was glad to help. I'll always be happy to help. No matter when, no matter what. I'm here for you."

But for how long? That was the question plaguing Max. How long until she became a nuisance, an irritant, a bother, a--

"Forever, Max." Kate's voice interrupted her internal diatribe. "That's how long. Forever and a day, if need be."

Max blinked, abruptly realizing she actually said part of that out loud. Her face turned bright red from embarrassment. "Um." Instinctively, she tried to run, to hide, but her hands were still being held.

Kate could see Max's intent and was having none of it. "You think that I'll get tired of you," she stated, holding Max's hands in a firm yet gentle grip. "You're afraid that one day, that you'll ruin our friendship, that you'll become a burden to me."

Hearing her own thoughts spoken aloud, Max ducked her head low. She very hesitantly nodded.

Kate stopped herself from shaking her head, knowing that Max would see it and misinterpret the motion as Kate being exasperated with her. That Max would ever think that, to have such an irrational fear… "That's your depression talking, not you. Depression is such a foul and insidious demon to fight as it always tells you those lies, always makes you feel alone. But you're not alone, Max. I'll be here for you."

She gave Max's hands another gentle squeeze. "Have I ever told you my favorite Bible verse of all time?"

"No..."

"'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' It comes from the Book of Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28. Whenever things got really bad for me, when things got so confusing, when I was doing everything I could to help my sisters when they were at their lowest, I would remember that verse and it would help.

"I'm not here to evangelize. I'm not God. I'm only human. But fallible as I am, I'm here for you, should you ever need me." Kate raised their joined hands, catching Max's attention. "And if you ever start wondering if you'll be a bother, a burden, or anything of the sort, should your depression make you doubt that you can come and talk to me, I want you to think of that passage and know this truth: I'm here. For you. Always." And to Max's complete and utter shock, Kate brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed the back of Max's hands. Softly. The left, then right. Kate lifted her gaze and gave Max a smile that could only be described as beatific.

Max didn't even realize she had started crying again until Kate reached forward, handkerchief in hand, and started wiping the tears away. She flushed red once more but Kate's gentle hand on her cheek prevented her from turning away. She didn't feel bad, though. Not this time. Not with Kate's words melting into her soul like butter on toast. She closed her eyes and let Kate continue. Maybe her head really was lying to her. Maybe she could come talk to Kate. Maybe things really would be okay.

It was a nice thought.

Kate gave her hands another gentle squeeze before gently letting go and rising from the couch. "Why don't we get dressed and go grab a bite? I'm certain you must be hungry right about now. I know I am. The apple I had earlier is wearing off and I'm ready for something a bit more substantial."

Max nodded as she stood as well. "I like the sound of that."

"Great! To that end," Kate turned and picked up a small bundle of clothes from the top of her dresser and brought them to Max. "I picked up an outfit for you while I was in your room. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Max took the clothes and simply stood here, feeling relieved, feeling lighter, feeling incredibly grateful to Kate. Overcome with emotion, she wrapped her friend in a tight hug. "Thank you so much."

Kate returned the hug just as tightly. "You're most welcome, Max."

A long, tender moment passed, then the two released each other. Max turned and set her clothes on the couch, noticing there was a bit more than just a pair of jeans and a shirt amongst the pile, something Max was grateful for. She reached up and, without thinking, took off her borrowed robe. Now nude, Max flipped through her clothing, finding and slipping into her panties, then bra. Socks, jeans, and deodorant followed, then her shirt. Last was her collar, which she lingered on a bit as she sat on the couch.

Max wondered what kind of Domme Kate was. She couldn't imagine Kate being anything other than the angel who helped her so much. Maybe Angel was a Domme title? Max smiled to herself as she tied the collar around her neck. It was an amusing thought. She supposed she'd find out soon enough, when she interviewed Kate. She wondered when would be a good time. It was the weekend, Saturday. Maybe sometime later today?

She was so lost in thought that she didn't catch Kate's near-nakedness at all when she stripped from her pajamas, though the blonde had inadvertently caught sight of Max's. She didn't allow her gaze to linger, though. It felt like a violation of Max's privacy, never mind they were in Kate's room and Max was the one who disrobed in front of her. Kate knew exactly what happened: Max was so relaxed, so at peace here, and so comfortable with her, it simply didn't register in her mind what she was doing. She just went about her business like everything was normal. Kate was determined to maintain that tranquility and promised herself she would never, ever mention it to her friend.

A few minutes later, the pair found themselves in Max's room, after having freshened up in the bathroom. Max had put her toothbrush away and placed Captain back on her bed, and was now in the process of slipping on her Chucks. "Thanks for letting me brush my teeth. I just can't start the day until I've done so."

"Trust me, I know the feeling. Who wants to walk around, constantly worried about morning breath?"

Max snickered as she stood and put on her hoodie. "So, where are we headed? Two Whales?"

"Not just yet. We need to stop somewhere really quick first."

"Oh?" Max grabbed her messenger bag and camera. "Where?"

"Hmm." Kate grinned as she opened Max's door. "Can't tell you."

"Really." Max followed Kate and closed the door behind her. She then gave Kate an overly suspicious look. "And why not?"

Kate took Max's hand and placed it in the crook of her arm. "It's a surprise."

Max smiled as she and Kate walked down the hall, feeling a bit like she was being escorted to a dance. "What sort of surprise?"

At the end of the hall, Kate led Max past the stairwell doors and towards the entrance to the common room. She repositioned herself behind Max and gently placed her hands on Max's shoulders. "The best kind," she softly replied and, with the lightest of pushes, urged Max to enter the room first.

**"SURPRISE!!!!"**

Max nearly dropped to the floor in shock. There, inside the large room, was nearly everyone from the girls' dorm, all of them smiling brightly at her. A huge banner hung on the far wall. It read, "Happy Birthday Max!"

Max blinked. It was her birthday. September 21st. Holy shit, it was her birthday. She had completely forgotten.

She couldn't feel embarrassed or stupid about it, though. She never got the chance. Not with Kate urging her forward into the party room, not with all the girls singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Not with the party streamers, the confetti being tossed around by an exuberant Chloe, the hugs, the pure joy that surrounded her. Not with the party hat placed on her head or the Birthday Girl sash draped across her shoulders.

Max stood in front of the beautiful birthday cake, alight with 18 candles, and started crying. She had a wide smile on her face this time, though. She was happy. No, more than happy. Her heart was full to bursting with the joy she felt. Part of her wanted this to last forever. The rest, though, merely tried wiping the tears from her face as she muttered out a wet, "You guys~!"

There was a soft chorus of "Awww…" all around her as someone, Max couldn't tell who, handed her a tissue. She cleaned up as best she could, though more tears threatened to fall.

A hand clasped her shoulder. Looking to her left, she saw Chloe, beautiful, perfect, Chloe, standing at her side, a bright grin on her face. "Hey, Maximus."

"Hey, Chloe," was Max's whispered reply.

Chloe motioned towards the cake. "Make a wish, dude. Then, we can get this party started."

Max nodded. She turned to the cake, closed her eyes, and, wish firmly in mind, blew out all the candles in one breath.

The room cheered. And so did Max's heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in the comments of chapter 18, I mentioned discovering something that pushed back a few things in the timeline. That something was Max's birthday. Sometime in the middle of writing this story, I got stuck trying to figure out precisely when it would take place. The game takes place in October and that was the default for the story as well, but when I was jotting down everyone's bio, I discovered that Max's birthday fell on a Saturday. One "EUREKA!" moment later, and stuff got shifted all around.
> 
> Next chapter is Max's birthday. I'm hoping for warm fuzzies and humor along with a surprise birthday present that will knock Max's socks off.
> 
> Oh, and I finally have a Tumblr: ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com  
> Stop by if you'd like to have a chat, share your thoughts, or just ramble on with a bit more freedom than here in the comments section.


	23. Happy Birthday, Max!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incredibly long and I'm really sorry about that. I just couldn't find a decent place to make a chapter break. If you read through it, perhaps you'll understand why I was so loathe to break things up. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

It was the most fun that Max could ever remember having at a party in years. And it was her birthday party! Hers!

It was almost surreal. The common room was decorated with balloons (a few looked suspiciously like inflated condoms), streamers in all sorts of lengths and colors, and that large birthday banner. It even looked hand-painted, meaning someone, or someones, spent actual time on making it just for her. That fact alone nearly caused her to cry again.

The coffee table was buried under a half a dozen bags of chips and a huge platter of sandwiches. Several 2-liter soda bottles were arrayed beneath the table within easy reach. And the cake! Max wasn't sure where it was from or who might've made it but it was absolutely delicious. Two-layers of wonderfully moist yellow and chocolate cake with a delectable icing that managed to not be too sweet, meaning it was super-easy to keep eating. No ice cream but several people promised they'd make a dessert run later and get her a huge-ass sundae. Max declined, several times in fact, stating the cake was more than enough. She still wasn't sure the message got through.

Steph had brought over her Wii and several games and even had 4 controllers for everyone to use. Several of them had actually played a Wii at some point, meaning most everyone was familiar with _Wii Sports_. This lead to a raucous tennis competition between Steph, Max, Dana, and Chloe. It was incredibly close but Max and Chloe lost, Chloe insisting they were robbed. Juliet and Brooke stepped up afterwards and trounced Steph and Dana, trash-talking the entire time, until Rachel and Kate shut them up by stomping them in the third next round.

It was absolutely hysterical.

At some point, things calmed down a bit, with Brooke, Alyssa, and Stella challenging each other in bowling while everyone else lounged around, snacking and chatting. Max took a back seat to most of the conversation but never once felt alone. Everyone understood she was just that kind of person (the quiet observer, the introvert) so never pressured her to join in on any conversation, but they always made certain she was included. As a result, she very much enjoyed herself, hearing all the funny stories (Chloe and Dana had some hilarious ones), all the latest gossip (Courtney and Juliet's bread and butter), and finding out which movies were must-see, which ones were just trash, and which trash movies were still a must-see.

Max would swear that everyone at the party was psychic, however. Being who she was, she couldn't help but get lost in her own head every now and then, even surrounded as she was by close friends and so many friendly faces. But every single time her thoughts would start spiraling downwards, she'd be brought right back to awareness by a friendly clap on the shoulder, a touch on her wrist, a hug, or some gentle words. It was like she was in the center of a happiness radar network and it was so absolutely wonderful, especially considering how today started.

"So, Max." Dana leaned forward from her seat on the floor. "Without spilling any juicy details, because we know better to ask, how're things going with the interviews?"

"Great! So much better than I ever anticipated when I first started Tuesday." She blinked. "Wow. It's only been since Tuesday. Dog, it feels like a lifetime."

Juliet nodded. "I bet. So much new info in such a short amount of time. Has it been overwhelming?"

"Surprisingly, no. So far, I've managed an interview a day but it's been a really good pace. I interviewed Steph last night, actually." Max smiled at her newest friend. "She, and everyone else I've spoken with, have given me such good insight on the D/S lifestyle, their opinions, how the approach things, and whatnot. I've learned more in the past four days than I have the past four years. It's been incredibly informative. And when I do some further research later, for Miss Carter's report, I find out even more."

"Any more leads on your sub role?" asked Kate.

Max shook her head. "Not yet, but that's not surprising. I'm not entirely sure I have one because my interests seem both, all over the place and on nothing at all. Right now, I'm kinda focused on eliminating things I'm not rather than trying to figure out what I am. Like what Rachel told me."

Rachel tilted her head. "Have you managed to eliminate any roles, then?"

"Um, not really. Which seemed weird to me, so at one point, I printed off a big list of kinks to try to get a better idea of what I might be from that angle. Sadly, that didn't work, either. Way too much stuff."

"I can imagine," Courtney agreed with a nod. "But perhaps you've managed to eliminate a few kinks?"

"Yes. Um." Max squirmed a bit and lowered her voice. "Is it okay to admit I really don't think I'm into water sports?"

A chorus of "Ews!" and gagging noises sounded from the entire room, even from the ones actively playing a game.

"It's absolutely okay," Courtney replied while shaking her head. "I'm a sub for a Queen, someone who can literally order me to do anything, and that's still a hard nope."

"I'm a hard-assed Brat," Brooke stated as she bowled a strike. "If Warren asked me to do anything like that, I swear to God I'd kick him in the balls." She turned to Kate. "No offense."

"None taken."

Chloe wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder. "While I might have a lot of shit to say on the matter, I'll summarize: shower sex, yes; toilet sex, no."

"Gotcha." Max said with a nod. "I just didn't want to offend anyone if they were."

"You're not going to offend anyone in this group," Rachel said with a smile. "I promise you that."

Dana reached forward and touched Max's knee, drawing her attention. "So, is it safe to assume that we'll be postponing our bitch fest until later?" she asked with a grin.

Max blinked as she suddenly recalled Wednesday's conversation with Dana. "Oh, dog, I completely spaced that today's Saturday and we made plans!" She slumped in her chair. "I'm sorry, Dana."

"Ah, ah! None of that!" Rachel piped up. "No apologies from the birthday girl. Not today."

"I second that," Chloe stated.

"The motion has entered the floor," Rachel continued. "Max is not allowed to say 'sorry' or apologize when she's done absolutely nothing wrong for the next 24 hours. All in favor?"

A chorus of hands shot up. "AYE!"

"All oppose?"

Not a peep.

"The 'ayes' have it!" Rachel slapped her hand on the nearby coffee table. "The Birthday Committee has voted and the motion has passed." She jabbed a finger in Max's direction, a huge smile on her face. "No apologies today, Max. Or else."

Max blinked, completely bewildered. What the hell just happened? "Um, or else what?"

"Or else," Chloe raised her hands and wiggled her fingers, "we tickle you until you wet your pants."

"No!" Max shrank into her chair, wide-eyed. Having been the victim of a Chloe tickle attack before, she knew it wasn't an idle threat.

Chloe shrugged and lowered her hands. "No sorries, no tickles. Which would be a crying shame. It's been way too long since I did that to you."

"'Not long enough,' you mean," Max replied, smiling despite the threatened punishment.

A touch on her knee brought her attention back to Dana. "What I meant to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," she said as she gave Rachel a mock-glare, who rather maturely stuck out her tongue in response, "was since I'm not sure what your plans are for the rest of the day, swing by anytime. I typically spend all day Saturday in my dorm unless I've headed out to eat, and I'm always up rather late, just screwing around. Don't have to worry about lunch today, though. Not with this spread." She jerked her head towards the table of food which, even after everyone had their fill, still had plenty to go around.

"I don't know what my plans are yet, either," Max said with a shrug. "I mean, I certainly didn't expect a surprise party. I even forgot it was my birthday."

Max was focused on Dana so she missed the glares that Rachel, Courtney, and even Kate shot Brooke, who got the hint and kept her mouth shut.

"Don't worry about that," Juliet chimed in. "Everyone forgets everything at some point. The important thing is, are you having fun now?"

"Oh, hell yes. I mean, heck yes." Max shot Kate an apologetic look. "SssssssssssSSo, whose turn is it on the Wii?" Max gave Chloe an extremely nervous smile who gave her a rather evil grin in response.

"Close, Max Factor. Ssssssssso close."

Rachel gave Chloe a playful shove as she rose from the couch. "You and I can take the next round, Max. Any good at bowling?"

"Terrible."

"Same here." Rachel gave Max a wide smile. "Let's see who scores the lowest."

Max smiled as she joined Rachel. "You're on."

The party continued on, with Steph swapping out _Wii Sports_ for _Mario Kart_ at one point. Again, Max proved she wasn't the best at video games but at the very least, she was able to prevent Steph and Chloe from constantly getting first place with all the blue shells and lightning strikes she got from being in the back of the pack. At one point, Juliet had the brilliant idea to have the entire room play the 16-track Grand Prix mode with everyone rotating controllers every new map. Max almost, ALMOST, apologized to her team for constantly driving off the track and into the water but just managed to keep the words from spilling from her mouth. Good thing, too. At that moment, Chloe was waiting her turn and was poised to strike. She snapped her fingers in an exaggerated "aw, shucks" way, to which Max rather maturely responded by sticking her tongue out at her.

It was a very mature afternoon.

Eventually, the party began winding down as they always do. Though it was a ton of fun for everyone involved, most of the girls did have other plans that day. Fortunately, none of those plans were critical enough that they couldn't be pushed back a few hours. Hence, the reason everyone was able to answer Kate and Rachel's call for help in granting Max the best fucking birthday party she had ever seen. Sans alcohol, of course. Max and Kate didn't drink and no one really wanted to try to smuggle that much booze into the dorms on such short notice. Well, except for Chloe, but Rachel had promised her a six-pack later that evening to make up for it, so it was all good.

Before everyone could start going their separate ways, however, Rachel stood and clapped her hands, drawing the room's attention. "Okay, so, I have the feeling that we'll be closing up shop soon, so first, thanks for coming, ladies!" Everyone clapped at that, including Max. "Courtney, be sure to tell Vicky and Taylor what they missed out on, okay?"

"Oh, you know it." Courtney grinned. "Victoria's going to be so mad that she didn't get to beat everyone at the fencing and archery games."

Rachel grinned. "But before that happens, we have to give Max her birthday present."

At this, everyone cheered, except for Max, who looked surprised. "No, guys, it's okay. You all gave me such a fun party. I don't need anything else."

"Nope! The Birthday Committee is in charge now and I say we give Max her present."

"Seconded!"

"All in favor?"

"AYE!"

"All oppose?"

Max swallowed. "Um, nay?"

Rachel stooped low and slapped her hand on the coffee table again. "The 'ayes' have it! The Birthday Committee has voted and the motion has passed." She grinned and put her hands on her hips. "You're getting your present and you're gonna like it. Or else."

Chloe raised her hands and wiggled her fingers. Again.

Max couldn't help it: she smiled. "Well, if you insist."

"Oh, I do. Now," Rachel took a step forward, "traditionally, the birthday girl is supposed to get a birthday spanking. One per year reached, plus one for good luck."

Again, Max couldn't help it: she shrank into the chair. "Um…" To get spanked by everyone here? All these Dommes? That would be terrible! Right?

...um, right?

"But," Rachel continued, "it's been decided that because we don't know if you're into that, and we wouldn't dream of forcing that on you against your will, we've come up with something a bit different."

It seemed to Max that Rachel was waiting for her to say something in response. Against her better judgment, Max asked, "And what's that?"

Rachel's smile turned just a bit lascivious. "Birthday _kisses_. One per year reached, plus one for good luck."

Max sucked in a breath. "I--" Her eyes widened. "I--" She looked around the room, abruptly aware that everyone present was absolutely, 100%, hot as hell. "I--" But the thought of actually getting kissed by them…?

"Max." Dana reached forward from her position on the floor in front of Max (a position she's kept all day, Max suddenly realized) and placed a calming hand on Max's knee. "It's okay. You don't have to accept a kiss from everyone here."

"Oh." To Max's great surprise, she felt a twinge of disappointment.

"If," Dana continued with a grin, "you can look me in the eyes and say you don't want it."

Max froze. The ball was now in her court. She had her out. All she had to do was say she didn't want to kiss everyone here. Simple. Just open her mouth and give Dana the hugest, most bold-faced lie she's ever given in her entire life. Do it with a completely straight face. Say the words: I don't. Done. Over.

She licked her lips. Opened her mouth. Squeaked. Ducked her head low. Stared at her clasped hands. And whispered, "I do." She swallowed. "I just… I-- Um, I…" She clutched her hands tighter together as she started to tremble, her brain going 100 miles an hour, rapidly spiraling from bad thought to worse thought. "I--"

The next thing she knew, Chloe was next to her on the couch, pulling her into her lap. "C'mere, Maxaroni. I gotcha."

Max curled into Chloe and closed her eyes. She breathed in Chloe's scent, a combination of tobacco, weed, body spray, and every happy childhood memory she had. It calmed her, gave her something else to focus on rather than her anxiety.

Dog, she was perfect.

Chloe wrapped an arm around Max and held her close. "Remember when I used to do this for you? Hold you like this? Been a while but you still fit."

Leaning against her, Max nodded. "Uh-huh."

"I'd tell you not to over-think this and stress yourself out but I know you. You know you, too. Overthinking is kinda your thing. So's the stress. So instead, you talk to me. No one else is here. You tell me what's up, only me. Your Captain."

Max took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Sitting like this with Chloe, like they did years ago, it was easy to lose herself and pretend that no one else was around. It helped. She cleared her throat. "I do want it," she whispered. "To be kissed. By you and everyone here. And that scares me."

Chloe stroked Max's hair. "That you'll be bad at it?"

"No," Max shook her head. "That everyone will hate me for it."

Unnoticed by both, Rachel shifted her gaze from the pair to everyone else in the room, daring anyone to utter a sound.

No one did.

Chloe blinked in confusion but kept her voice soft. "And why would anyone hate you for a kiss?"

"Because…" Max licked her lips. "I was taught a kiss is something special you give to someone else. If someone kisses you, and you like them, it's a promise. An important one. Kissing someone else, it cheapens it, lessens the promise. I couldn't do that to anyone here. I like everyone too much."

It was an accidental confession, one that Max, so lost in the moment, didn't even realize she had made. But everyone else in the room, especially the ones who were interested in the shy hipster, took very special note.

Chloe was one of them and had to force a wide grin from her face so she could continue. "These kisses won't lessen any promise, Max. In fact, they'll only reinforce it. Every kiss today, here, in this room, is a promise for a happy birthday to the most kick-ass hipster photographer this side of the country. And if anyone tries to hate you for that?" Chloe shrugged. "I'll kick their ass from here to Seattle."

Max snorted out a laugh, breaking the tension in the room. "You would, wouldn't you."

"Damn right. You're my friend, Long Max Silver. BFFs. Pirates for life. All that lovey crap. Just don't tell anyone. Can't let my badass punk image get ruined, y'know."

Max nodded again, smiling. "Your secret's safe with me."

Chloe gave Max another tight squeeze and a nudge, causing the brunette to lift her head and finally open her eyes. She gave Chloe a soft smile and a quiet, "What?"

Chloe grinned. "So, who's the lucky girl that gets your first kiss?"

Max blinked. Oh, Dog. Chloe was right. This was her first kiss! Oh shit, oh fuck. First kisses were important. Like, super important. To have her first kiss here, now, surrounded by all these Dommes… Well, actually, that wasn't a bad thought. But who? How the hell could she decide?!

Chloe saw something was very suddenly up with Max. She chucked Max under the chin and caught her attention. "What's up? I can hear you thinking."

"Um, it's just that…" Max cleared her throat. "This is my first kiss. How can I choose?"

It was Chloe's turn to blink at the unexpected development. "Really? Huh. I actually meant the first kiss here, right now, in this room. But really? Your first kiss? Like, ever?"

"Yeah." Max ducked her head again. "Kinda lame, right?"

"What? No! Fuck no!" Chloe was pretty close to floundering and she knew it. She shot Rachel a desperate look who leaned forward in her seat.

"Not having your first kiss until now isn't lame or dumb or anything of the sort," Rachel explained. "It just means that you've been waiting for just the right moment. The right person. And that's awesome. I'm a little jealous, actually. I mean, I wish I had waited. My first kiss was rather pathetic."

"Really?"

"Really," Rachel replied with a nod. "Jeremy Yoder. Sixth grade. Thought we were in love." Rachel shrugged. "Until he started bragging that he had 'nailed the hot blonde.' I wound up shoving him down a flight of stairs."

Max gasped. "Holy shit. Really?"

At Max's horrified expression, Rachel clarified. "Okay, so it wasn't an actual flight of stairs. More like two steps from the building's landing to the sidewalk. But I did shove him. He didn't get hurt but he did land in a huge puddle. Got soaked, ruined his phone." She grinned. "Served the jackass right."

Max snickered as did several others. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Juliet smiling at her. "I wish I'd waited, too. My first kiss was in the seventh grade. Fall dance. Football player. Way too much tongue. Turned me off from kissing anyone for the rest of the school year. Seriously, that much slobber belongs on a dog, not a boyfriend."

Max giggled. "That's awful!"

"Damn right it was."

Brooke spoke and surprised everyone in the room by smiling quite warmly at Max. "My first kiss was rather unmemorable. Neither good or bad. But let me tell you, I was Warren's first kiss." She waved her hands in front of her. "Trust me, no one wanted to be Warren's first kiss. It was so shit!" She turned to Juliet. "Would probably have given your football player a run for his money."

"Wowsers. Really?"

"God's honest truth." Brooke turned to Kate again. "No offense."

"None taken," Kate replied. It was kind of a running joke between the two of them. "But I am a bit surprised you're admitting this to us."

"Eh, I'm a Brat. I'm expected to say annoying stuff like that. But," Brooke turned back to Max, "my point is, while Warren's first kiss was terrible, his second wasn't. Or his third. Or fourth. Like everything, from photography, to flying a drone, to sex, it takes practice to get good." She shrugged. "Try not to worry too much about who's going to be your first or how good it's going to be. Instead, focus on making every kiss mean something. You said kisses were promises? To someone you like? Make a new promise each time, that every other kiss to that someone will be even better than the current one."

That was surprisingly good advice from someone that Max always figured halfway hated her. She gave Brooke a friendly smile. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Max shifted, suddenly aware that she was still seated in Chloe's lap. "Um."

Rachel saw Max's expression and spoke up before Max could start feeling self-conscious. "Since Chloe is your oldest friend, I think she should have the honor of being your first kiss."

"Really!?" This came from Max.

"Really!?" This came from Chloe.

"Really." This came from Rachel, who nodded.

Max looked from Rachel to Chloe. Seeing a stunned expression on her friend, oddly, made her relax somewhat. Her eyes were drawn to Chloe's lips. If she was honest with herself, she had wondered for years what those lips would feel like, pressed against her own. Would Chloe be gentle, like she was just now when she pulled Max into her lap, knowing exactly how to calm her down? Would she be rough, like what her punk exterior told the world, taking Max forcibly, dominating her in front of so many witnesses? Would she kiss Max like she kissed Rachel in the parking lot, full of passion, tinged with lust, and yet so very affectionate? Max bit her bottom lip as she unconsciously squeezed her thighs together. Dog, she was getting so incredibly turned on just thinking about it.

Rachel watched Max's eyes dilate slightly, saw her lick her lips and shift in Chloe's lap, and knew, simply knew, she made the right call. This would be so good for Max. Plus, the sight of Max getting turned on by the prospect of kissing Chloe was actually doing rather nice things to her, too. Rachel cast a quick glance around the room and saw she wasn't the only one, though what was really surprising was seeing Juliet with a compact open, touching up her lipstick. Did she have a thing for Max?

Chloe, in the meantime, had turned back towards Max and shot her a smirk. "Ready for your first kiss, then, Maxilicious?"

"Yes," came Max's whispered reply, sounding to the world like she'd been waiting for this one moment her entire life.

In a very real way, she had.

"O-okay." Chloe cleared her throat, suddenly struck by nerves. She reached up with her left hand and cupped Max's cheek. Slowly, she tugged Max towards her while also leaning forward. She watched Max's eyes close a split second before hers did and a moment later, she was giving Max her very first kiss.

All the emotions Max had ever felt for her first friend, her blue-haired, badass punk, her Pirate Captain, rose up all at once. She sighed into the kiss, leaning in slightly, trying to pour every scrap of emotion into it while absorbing as much of that beautiful feeling as possible. Unnoticed, tears spilled down her cheeks, tears of pure joy.

18 years of waiting: worth every fucking minute.

When they finally broke apart, Max kept her eyes closed, the sensation of Chloe's lips lingering still. She heard the room coo in delight but, for once, paid it no mind. She wasn't the least bit self-conscious. She just had her first kiss! And it was with Chloe! She could die right this second and be utterly content.

She felt something brush from her cheeks and opened her eyes. Chloe, beautiful, wonderful, caring Chloe, napkin in hand, was brushing tears from Max's cheeks, tears she didn't even notice were there. "I... um." She sniffed. "I--"

"Shh," was Chloe's response, anticipating that Max was probably going to apologize, again, for something not even remotely her fault, or needing an apology in the first place. To combat that, Chloe, as usual, turned to humor. "You sure that was your first kiss? I think someone's been practicing on her pillow or something."

"Oh, shove it," Max snickered as she slipped off of Chloe's lap and onto the love seat. She was feeling super giddy at the moment. Her first kiss! Dog, the day couldn't get any more perfect.

Except, it was. And it started right when Chloe stood, looked around the room and said, "Top that, ladies!"

Max blinked. Oh, right. More kisses. More kisses! From all these gorgeous girls. Her face flushed as certain parts of her anatomy tingled in anticipation. Dog, how was she going to survive this?

"There's no topping that kiss, Chloe," said Juliet. "None of us are dumb enough to try."

"But," Dana chirped, "we're definitely gonna try matching it!"

A chorus of laughs sounded in the room and Max shifted in her seat. Best birthday ever!

"If no one minds too terribly," Alyssa said as she stepped forward, "I'd like to go next."

The room agreed, though a couple of people present, knowing Alyssa was ace, was curious how she was going to handle kissing Max. They got their answer a moment later when she stood in front of Max and stuck out her hand for a handshake, a wide smile on her face. "Happy 18th birthday, Max."

Max grinned just a widely as she stood and gave Alyssa's hand a firm shake. "Thank you so much."

Chloe, who didn't know Alyssa at all, protested. "Wait, that's not a kiss!"

"Yes it is," Max stated, turning in Chloe's direction with a smile. "This is patented Alyssa-kiss and is perfect for the occasion. Birthday girl says so."

Rachel took Chloe's hand, drawing her attention. "If the birthday girl says it's perfect, then it's perfect. Right?"

Chloe paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, okay." She was obviously missing something here but since she was just joking around anyway, it wasn't a problem. Rachel would explain later. "As long as you're happy, Max Attack."

"I couldn't be happier."

Brooke stepped forward as Alyssa retook her seat. "I'm next."

Juliet blinked. "Excuse you?"

As Max watched, amazed, as Brooke's entire demeanor went from demanding to apologetic. "I mean, may I be next?"

Juliet nodded. "Better." She then raised an eyebrow in Max's direction.

Max nodded. "Sure. But, wait. Um, are you bi?" Max had only ever seen Brooke with Warren, after all, and was curious.

Brooke shook her head. "Nope. Not even a little. Kissing girls doesn't gross me out but doesn't do anything for me, either."

Dana cocked her head to one side. "Then why are you so eager to plant one on Max?"

"'Cause it'll drive Warren insane when I tell him," Brooke answered with a smirk.

Everyone burst out laughing at that. "You really are a Brat, aren't you?" asked Courtney.

"Damn right." She turned to Max and removed her glasses. "Ready?"

Max nodded. "Ready."

Brooke stepped right up to Max, stood up on her tiptoes and, with surprising gentleness, linked her hands behind Max's neck and pulled her into a deep kiss. She explored Max's lips, almost nibbling, memorizing every contour, every sensation. She ended with quick French, then let go, dropping to her feet.

Max staggered backwards and pretty much collapsed into her chair behind. "...wowsers." Her face was the definition "dopey grin."

Juliet raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a powerful kiss from Brooke of all people. She turned to shorter girl. "You sure you're not at least a little bi?"

"I..." Brooke blinked, looking stunned. She brought a hand up to her lips as she stepped back. "I... I gotta go." And with that, Brooke hurried out of the room.

Juliet turned to follow. "I'll be right back. Gonna make sure she's okay."

Max blinked, watching Juliet go after her friend. "Um." She turned back to the rest of the room. "Did I do something wrong?"

A bevy of "Noes" came from all around. "I think she wound up liking that way more than she ever anticipated and needs a moment to collect herself," said Steph.

"Gay panic?" asked Dana.

"Hmm." Steph shook her head. "Not really getting that vibe but that won't stop her from freaking out that she is. But Juliet's with her so she'll likely help." She turned to look at Max. "Which is totally not your fault so don't even think about it."

Max closed her mouth with an audible click. "Um, wouldn't dream of it," she lied rather unconvincingly. She then cleared her throat. "It's just, we were all having so much fun. I don't want Brooke to be sad now."

"You really are the best person ever, Max," Chloe grinned as she shook her head.

"I'm sure Juliet will calm Brooke down," Rachel said. "She knows Brooke better than anyone here, I think. But I'll make sure to bring her another slice of cake. Chocolate happens to be her favorite flavor so it'll probably help."

Max sighed in relief. "Okay. Thanks, Rachel."

"Sure thing."

There was a moment of silence as the remaining girls in the room eyed each other, wondering who would be next. Stella broke the stalemate by standing. "If it pleases the Committee," she said with a smile, "I volunteer to be next."

Nods all around. Max went to stand but Stella raised her hand to stop her. "Please, stay seated. I'm actually more comfortable kissing you like this."

"Oh, okay."

Max wasn't sure what kind of Domme Stella was. They had never really hung out together, just the two of them. They chatted and joked at lunch sometimes but that was only when Kate and Alyssa were also around. Overall, she found Stella to be fairly quiet and introverted. Like herself. But she still found herself anticipating a kiss.

Stella leaned down and placed her hands atop Max's for a moment. "Please, keep your hands right here and try not to move them." She saw Max's confusion and went on to explain. "I just need to always be certain where everyone's hands are. It's a quirk of mine."

Max nodded. "Sure."

Stella nodded in return, then lifted her hands from Max's lap. She reached forward and very lightly traced the contours of Max's face with her fingertips, brushing her fingers through Max's bangs as well.

Max's eyes fluttered shut at the sensation. It reminded her of her ASMR experience with Steph.

Stella, liking what she saw, reached up and removed her glasses, placing them in her hoodie pocket. She then leaned forward and brushed a single finger beneath Max's chin and with a soft touch, tilted Max's head upwards. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Max licked her lips. "O-okay." Eyes still closed, Max sensed Stella lean in close, felt Stella's soft breath on her face, and a moment later, felt Stella's lips on hers. Unlike with Brooke, there was nothing probing or exploratory about this kiss. Stella kissed her lighter than Chloe, almost tentative. When Stella broke the kiss, she followed up with gentle pecks along Max's mouth and cheeks, alternating sides as she went. It was almost like she was asking permission even as she kissed Max.

Butterfly kisses. Dog, it was wonderful.

Stella leaned back and put her glasses back on, grinning at the dopey grin on Max's face. "You're just too cute for words, Max. I think I can see it now."

Max opened her eyes and saw Stella still standing in front of her. She tilted her head to one side, still smiling. "See what?"

With a soft chuckle, Stella took a seat on a nearby couch. "Never mind. Happy birthday, Max."

"Um, thank you."

Chloe grinned at Max who was still sitting there with a slightly goofy grin. She couldn't recall the last time Max was ever this relaxed at a party. "How're you holding up, Mad Max?"

"Best birthday ever," was Max's reply.

"Whose kiss was the best so far?" Courtney asked with a smirk.

"Nope. Nuh-uh. No way." Max shook her head. "I'm not the type to kiss and tell."

Everyone had a good laugh at that right as Juliet re-entered the common room. "What'd I miss?"

"Just Stella's kiss and Courtney trying to dig dirt for Victoria, that's all," was Rachel's reply.

"Hey!" Courtney protested. "Just 'cause I'd tell Victoria doesn't mean I'm not curious, too."

"Um, how's Brooke doing?" Max asked.

"She'll be fine," Juliet stated as she sat down next to Stella. "She thought she'd hate the kiss but the exact opposite turned out to be true. I explained that liking a kiss doesn't automatically mean liking girls. No need to break out the Pride shirts and flags just yet."

Everyone grinned at that, including Max. "I'm glad she's okay. We don't always get along but she was so nice today."

"She's just jealous that Warren's always trying to get into your pants," Stella stated. "Just shoot him down, definitively, and she'll likely warm up to you."

"Wait, what?" Max blinked in confusion. "That can't be right. He has Brooke. She's, like, perfect for him. Short and cute, likes sci-fi and video games, and she's a sub." She shook her head. "He can't be interested in me. It only seems like that because I'm a sub and he just feels protective."

The room collectively paused at Max's assessment, stunned. It was like Max didn't even realize she had also described herself. At the same time, several of the girls had a moment of clarity as they finally witnessed something that had previously just been the subject of rumor or conjecture: Max's utter cluelessness to her own appeal. No wonder Brooke was so bitchy towards Max. She thought Max was being coy when in truth, Max was just oblivious.

Dana, again, reached forward and touched Max on her knee, drawing her attention. "Whether Stella is right or not about Warren," she stated diplomatically, "if Brooke believes it, it would explain so much. Maybe later you can explain your side to her. That way, Brooke knows the truth and, if needed, can talk to Warren about her feelings, clear the air there."

After a moment of thought, Max nodded. "That's a good idea. Man, I wish I would've thought of that sooner." Max gave Dana a sheepish grin. "Might've stopped all the dirty looks."

Juliet laughed. "Brooke has a pretty fierce glare, that's for sure."

"Maybe approach her later today," Courtney said. "She might still be a bit thrown off by that kiss and will be more willing to listen instead of just biting your head off."

"Ooo, sneaky!" Alyssa grinned. "I like it."

Chloe twisted the top off a 2-liter of Cherry Coke and started pouring herself another cup. "Who's next? I can't be the only one who's enjoying watching this."

Predictably, Max blushed while Rachel gave Chloe a light shove, nearly causing her to spill her drink. "No rushing the moment just to fuel your deviant fantasies, babe."

"You star in all those deviant fantasies, you know."

"As well I should."

Courtney rose from her chair, interrupting the good-natured bickering. "Max, would it be okay if I kiss you next?"

Max nodded. "Sure!" Then, she blinked. "But wait, is that okay? I mean, aren't you and Victoria… Um, something?"

"Victoria is my Domme, you're right," Courtney acknowledged. "But this is a present for you." She paused. "Unless you don't want to?"

"I do!" Max blurted. "I-- I mean, yes, I do. Um." She blushed a bit at her own eagerness. "I just don't know your rules, I guess, with Victoria, if you have any, and didn't want you to get into trouble. And, um, I really didn't want her mad at me for breaking those rules?" Max winced slightly, knowing just how lame she was sounding right now.

Not a single other person thought so, though. Instead, they only recognized Max being both cautious and ultra-considerate to another sub who, up to this point, hadn't really treated her with any kindness or respect. Courtney, especially, recognized this and decided, right then and there, that Max was her newest friend.

To that end, she sat down right next to Max and took her left hand in her right. "I promise it's okay, Max. While you're correct that we do have rules, 'don't go around kissing random people' is more an unstated relationship rule and not a hard D/s rule. I'm pretty sure Rachel and Chloe have that rule as well."

"Damn right!"

Courtney quirked an eyebrow at Max. "See? And I also promise Victoria won't be mad at you. She'll only be mad that she missed out."

What Courtney meant was that Victoria would be mad at missing out on kissing Max. Of course, Max completely misinterpreted that and instead assumed Courtney meant missing out on the party. "It's definitely been a ton of fun. Maybe we can have another party for someone else and she can beat everyone at archery then."

Courtney blinked then giggled. Several others in the room also had to hide their grins while Juliet simply stared, incredulous. Holy fuck, Max really didn't get that?!

Max turned and looked around the room. She squirmed, and started feeling a bit self-conscious. "What?"

This close to Max, Courtney could see her start to tense up. That couldn't be allowed. Not only was that against today's commandments, she wouldn't allow her friend to remain uncomfortable. She reached out with her left hand and very gently turned Max's face towards her. "Don't worry about them. Besides, in about three seconds, you're going to completely forget they exist."

"Really? How come?"

"This." And suddenly, Courtney surged forward and captured Max's lips with her own. She teased, she probed, she groaned, nearly overwhelmed with sensory input as she leaned into Max, pressing her into the love seat by her shoulders. Max moaned softly in response, her hands instinctively grasping at Courtney's back, holding on for dear life. This wasn't a kiss, it was a tidal wave!

15 seconds of increasingly heated sounds filled the room before Courtney broke the kiss, though she remained hovering over Max. She licked her lips and was breathing rather heavily. "Holy fuck, Max. You didn't tell me you sounded so good."

Max, who was panting as well and was far too busy staring at the ceiling to hear really the statement, only let out a breathy "...wowsers."

The rest of the room heard it, though they assumed Courtney was simply referring to Max's involuntary moans which had caused more than a few of them to shift in their seats. Juliet, however, blinked at the odd phrasing. "'Sounded?'"

Courtney whipped her head around to stare at Juliet. For a brief moment, the ace reporter saw shock on Courtney's face before she schooled her expression to something a bit more neutral. Courtney then completely ignored the query and instead turned back to Max, giving the still-stunned girl a grin. "You okay there, Max?" she asked as she sat back.

"Um." Max was struggling to sit back up until Courtney reached a hand forward, allowing Max to grip it and pull herself upright. "I… Um." She cleared her throat. "I have to know: do you ever kiss Victoria like that?"

Courtney's grin widened even further. "I'm not the type to kiss and tell."

Max burst out laughing as did several others. "Fair enough," she said, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.

"But speaking of Victoria," Courtney said as she rose from the love seat, "there are a few things I have to take care of before she returns to Blackwell later today, so I'm going to head out."

"Sure." Max stood and, acting on impulse, stepped forward and gave the slightly shorter girl hug. "Thanks so much for coming."

"You're welcome. And happy birthday, Max."

Max watched her leave, then blinked as Juliet stepped up. She smiled at the reporter as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "So, any of this going to be in the next issue of the Totem?"

Juliet grinned. "Oh, yes. A birthday party. Total scandal. How will Blackwell ever recover?" She and Max shared a laugh. "No, of course not. Contrary to popular belief, I do have a sense of what belongs in the paper and what should remain private. And this is a special party for a special girl, getting a very special gift from several people. No need to spread that around. People might get jealous."

Max flushed a bit at the "special girl" part. "Um, jealous?"

"Sure! Can you imagine how many other people out there, guys or gals, would kill to have a chance to be kissed by so many hotties?"

"Thinking pretty highly of yourself there, Jules," Dana said with a wide grin.

"Watch it, now." Juliet pointed at her friend still seated on the floor. "I'm including you in that list, too, you know."

"And rightfully so!"

Juliet shot Chloe a grin and turned back to Max. "Ready for these lips?"

"Um." Max licked her own as she dropped her gaze to Juliet's, mesmerized, yet again, by their appearance. She had always wondered what it'd be like to kiss those lips and now, against all odds, she was going to find out.

Juliet didn't immediately plant one on her, though. Instead, she took hold of Max's hands and placed them on her shoulders. She then took a half-step forward and placed her hands on Max's hips. When Max looked at her, curious, Juliet explained. "I don't get to lead all to often since Zach's a Dom as well. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, not at all." Max blinked as Juliet began to sway them back and forth, like they were slow dancing. She relaxed and allowed herself to get in the moment. She'd never been to a school dance, or any dance, really, but she had seen it in a few movies. "I didn't know that two Doms can hook up."

"They sure can." Juliet was rapidly figuring out how to handle Max's naiveté: don't bring attention to it and roll with it. "Two Doms, two subs, love has no boundaries. And before you ask, I have no idea if I'm in love with Zach. But I'm definitely in like with him."

Max giggled at the phrasing. "As long as you're happy."

"And are you happy, Max?" Juliet asked, leaning close.

"Um." Max flushed at her proximity. Her eyes drifted to Juliet's lips once more before looking Juliet in the eyes. "Very," she answered with a whisper.

Juliet's response was just as soft. "I'm glad." And without further ado, she closed the distance and kissed Max.

Once again, Max was lost in the sensations of the kiss, though this time, she was now standing quite close to Juliet, hands on her shoulders, Juliet's hands on her hips. It really was like a dance. A romantic one. Juliet deepened the kiss a bit and pulled Max closer so they were now flush against one another, though not in a lewd way. Just close. Intimate.

Wonderful.

When the kiss was over, Max, eyes still closed, rested her head on Juliet's shoulder. Utterly lost in the moment, she continued to sway, a small, content smile on her face. Rachel, seated over to one side, couldn't help but whip out her phone and snap a photo of the moment. Max was just so fucking cute!

Juliet seemed to think so as well as grinned at Rachel and gave her a thumbs up. She then slowly brought the herself and Max to a stop, then took a half-step back. Her hands remained on Max's hips, though. "You are a delightful sub, Max."

Max's eyes fluttered open. "Wha… Um, what do you mean?"

"You're so receptive of your partner," Juliet explained. "I'm no expert on Dom/sub dynamics but I pride myself on having a keen eye for observation. Everyone who's kissed you so far has done so quite differently. And each and every time, you've approached their kiss just about perfectly for that person and that moment." Juliet gave Max a quirky grin. "It's like you have a gift."

"I..." Max blinked, having absolutely no idea what to say to that.

Juliet raised her hands and placed them over Max's. She gently wrapped her fingers around Max's hands and lowered them from her shoulders. Then, to top things off, she raised one hand to her lips and bowed her head to kiss it. "Thank you for the honor of dancing with me, milady."

Even as her face turned a bit red at the chivalrous gesture, a wide smile grew on Max's face. "You're most welcome, Lady Watson."

When the two parted, Juliet going back to the couch, Max sitting back down on the love seat, Rachel and Chloe started clapping. "Bravo!" Chloe whistled. "Brilliant performance!"

"Magnifique!" Rachel joined in. "I'm going to talk to Mr. Keaton, tell him I found a new recruit for the drama club."

"Please don't," Max replied, her smile turning a touch nervous. "I can't act and if you put me in front of a crowd, I think I'd die."

"No worries, Max," said Steph. "We actually wouldn't do that to you. And even if Rachel tried to pull a fast one, I'd veto it."

"Hey!" Rachel cried out in mock outrage. "You can't pull rank like that!"

"I'm a Director," Steph replied with a smirk. "Watch me."

Max giggled as Rachel threw a balled up napkin at Steph. Dog, this was so awesome, watching everyone here have fun. A touch on her knee drew her attention to Dana, who was grinning up at her. "My turn?"

"O-oh! Um, sure!" She was going to kiss Dana, too! Please, please don't let this day ever end.

Dana rose to her knees and shuffled forward to kneel right in front of the shy birthday girl. Max blushed slightly as Dana placed her hands on Max's knees and gently spread her legs apart just enough for her to scooch forward. She reached forward and grasped Max around her hips, then, with a little tugging, urged Max to slide up in her seat until the two were nearly flush with one another. Dana looked at Max's wide-eyed expression and gave her a soft smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Max swallowed but also smiled. "Well, maybe not scared, but you definitely caught me off-guard."

The two shared a grin as they quoted themselves from yesterday. Dana cleared her throat. "How're feeling?"

"Um." Max licked her lips. "A bit nervous for some reason. What about you?"

"Same."

"Really?"

Dana nodded. "I always get nervous doing things in front of people. Even kissing cute girls."

Max's blush deepened. "But, aren't you a cheerleader?"

"Yes. That doesn't mean I don't get nervous, though. It just means I have a lot of practice at hiding it." Dana smiled as she brushed her thumbs against Max's hips. Atop her clothing, completely innocent, nothing scandalous, but Max's breath still hitched. "Ask Rachel later. I'm pretty positive she still gets the jitters before going on stage."

"O-okay."

Dana shifted a touch closer, taking her time, committing every look, every touch, every shiver, to memory. She had wanted this for far longer than she would ever, ever admit aloud. She suddenly grinned as she thought of something that would calm both their nerves. "Hey, Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Gimme a 'K.'"

Like magic, the nervousness fell away from Max's expression as she couldn't help but smile at the corny joke. A moment later, confidence renewed, Dana leaned forward and kissed Max.

Perfect. Without thinking, Max lifted her hands and brought them behind Dana's neck. Her fingers softly stroked the sensitive skin there, occasionally playing with Dana's hair. This time, it was Dana who sighed into the kiss rather than Max. If everyone present had to vote on one word that would perfectly describe what they were seeing, it would've been unanimous: sweet.

When the finally broke apart, they were both slightly flushed and smiling. Dana playfully rubbed her nose against Max's, causing the two to giggle softly. Dana sat on her heels, giving the two space. "Wow. Now I know what I want for Christmas."

Max merely giggled again, one hand covering her lips, a small blush still on her cheeks. It was the first time she had ever looked bashful and collectively, the room thought it was utterly adorable.

As Dana retook her original position on the floor, Rachel, Steph, and Kate, being the last ones remaining, all looked at one another. Rachel grinned. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

Steph matched Rachel's grin. "You're on!"

Kate, however, bowed out. "I call dibs on last, actually."

"Ah, very strategic!" Chloe said. "Bookending the day's event! I was her first and you'll be her last. That way, Max will remember our kisses more than the others. Nice job, Katey-Kat!" Having christened Kate her new nickname, Chloe leaned forward in her chair and extended her fist. To her great pleasure, Kate smiled widely and reciprocated, bumping Chloe's fist with hers. "Kick ass! You're my newest, favorite person."

"Thank you. I genuinely hope we do get to hang out sometime."

"You're on, sista."

Max watched as a new friendship blossomed right before her eyes. She couldn't help but grin. She really hoped that two of her favorite people in the whole wide world would get along, despite being the most incongruous pair she could imagine: the loud punk and the quiet Christian. She remembered her mental image of Kate in Chloe's punk clothes, playing Firewalk on her violin, and wondered if that would become a reality. Then, she imagined Chloe dressed in Kate's skirt, blouse, and cardigan, puffing on a cigarette while Alice hopped around her ankles and had to slap her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

She wasn't very successful.

Steph and Rachel paused in their best three-out-of-five tournament as they heard Max just crack the fuck up. Everyone else, too, turned to see Max hunched over, trying her best to stop her guffaws. The room, once again, blinked as each of them came to the realization that this was the first time they had ever seen Max laugh this open and free. Ever. All of them shared a look, as if communicating to one another that it certainly wouldn't be the last. Not on their watch.

Max, in the meantime, flopped onto her back and laid down on the love seat, face flushed with amusement. She fanned herself with one hand, a wide grin on her face. Dog, that was the funniest damn mental image ever! She giggled a bit more.

Chloe, seeing that Max had calmed slightly, spoke up. "Okay, Max Laugh Tracks, you gotta share. What's so funny?"

Max turned and looked at Chloe, blinked, then snickered again. "Nothing!"

"C'mon, tell me!"

"Nope!"

"You gotta!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Tell me or I'll tickle it out of you."

Max saw Chloe's predatory grin and swallowed, though she still had a smile on her face. "Later. Pirate Promise. Okay?"

That was good enough for Chloe, who nodded. "Roger, Long Max Silver."

Steph rose from her seat next to Rachel and stepped over to Max, then knelt down near her head. When Max started to rise, Steph placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and stopped the movement. She gave Max a soft smile. "Hey there."

Max settled back and gave Steph a warm smile. "Hey, Steph."

Steph swallowed as she took in the sight. It was, quite literally, only yesterday that she seen Max like this: lying back, utterly relaxed, smiling so warmly, looking ever-so enticing. It was also only yesterday that she had such a such a powerful fantasy that starred Max. To be this close to her crush, to know that in moments, she was going to kiss this damn cute girl, it was a fucking dream come true. And yet, at the same time, despite everything that had happened at the party so far and all the kisses she had witnessed, she had to know. "How're you doing?"

"I'm doing good. Great. Fantastic." Max shrugged, still smiling. "I can't come up with enough adjectives. This is the best day of my life."

"That's awesome to hear." Steph shifted just a touch closer. "Still feeling up to some more birthday kisses? Or are you needing a break?"

Max licked her lips. Cleared her throat. Gazed into Steph's eyes. And whispered, "Is it okay to admit I want you to kiss me?"

No kinder sentence had ever been spoken to Steph. To hear Max say those words filled Steph with such a sense of joy that she was sure she was going to start crying herself. Still, there was the slightest hint of hesitancy, the tiniest speck of doubt, in Max's tone, and no matter her own thoughts and desires, Max came first.

"It's perfectly okay to admit that." Steph raised her hand and softly brushed her fingertips through Max's bangs. "Were you worried that it wouldn't be?"

"Um. A little." Max closed her eyes as Steph continued her soft strokes. "I've never kissed anyone before and suddenly, I'm getting so many wonderful kisses from so many wonderful people. It's been so damn awesome. Like a dream. I like it. I like it so much." Max opened her eyes to look at Steph. "I just hope that everyone else does, too."

Oblivious to her own appeal. Steph smiled. "I promise that they do."

"Really?"

"Really." She pointed to the top of her head. "I swear on my beanie."

Max snickered. That actually meant a lot since she had never, ever, seen Steph without it. As she watched, Steph's amused grin softened to something far warmer. There was a look in her eyes she couldn't quite identify but caused her heart to beat a bit faster.

Steph leaned in close to Max's ear and began to whisper. "I'm glad you're having such a good time, Max." She watched as Max's eyes fluttered shut as she shuddered softly. "That's all I wanted... all we wanted, for you. To have a special day, to be surrounded by friends, to have so much fun." Steph swallowed, then continued. "And to give you your present. Unique to you, just for you." Done whispering, Steph then shifted forward, leaned down, and, like a prince to a sleeping princess, gave Max a gentle kiss.

Max was in heaven. Laying back like this, being kissed by Steph, it was utter bliss. Was this what joy felt like? For a long moment, nothing else in the world existed except for her, Steph, and their sweet kiss. Then, she felt a hand cup her cheek. Slowly drift behind her head. Fingers curl into her hair. Felt Steph draw her closer. And sweet became glorious.

Steph could spend forever here. But she had to break the kiss. She didn't want to. She really, really didn't fucking want to. But, she had to. Max wasn't hers. Maybe she'd never be, not with this competition (something she recognized now). But maybe... She eased back, absorbing every sensation, every scent, every flavor. Every moment. She gave Max one last peck on the lips. Tilted her head down and whispered in Max's ear, "Happy birthday, Max."

Max gave one last shudder and opened her eyes. She turned her head to the side and saw Steph kneeling close by. She gave Steph a huge smile and said, "Tingles."

Steph snickered, glad that she had an inside joke thing going on with Max. "Me too."

Max, still lying on her back, watched as Steph stood and walked towards Rachel, who had risen as well. The pair high- and low-fived as they passed each other, the motion so smooth and practiced, it was second nature. Max had to grin at that. Her grin faded, however, when Rachel didn't stop next to the love seat like she expected but instead crawled onto the chair with her and draped herself on top of Max. Being the same height, this meant that they were now toe to toe, hip to hip, breast to breast. Max's heart began to pound furiously as her face turned a bright shade of red. She was practically enveloped in all things Rachel and (she'd never thought she'd think this), it was too much.

Fortunately for her, Rachel, though bold and always flirty, was also quite observant and sensitive to the needs of her friends. She saw and felt Max go rigid beneath her and lifted herself off. "Too much? Here." She shifted until she was leaning on her side next Max, head propped up on one arm, her right leg hooked over Max's. "Better?"

Max swallowed heavily but was now able to breathe. This actually was a lot better. Max was still in physical contact with Rachel's entire body but now, it wasn't so overwhelming. "Um, yes?" An errant thought popped in her head that Chloe was going to be pissed at her for taking advantage of Rachel but when she shot her blue-haired friend a panicked look, all she got was a wide grin and a thumbs up. From Steph, too, who was lounging on the sofa with her legs in Chloe's lap.

A soft hand on her cheek brought her attention back to the blonde bombshell. "I'm glad. I know I can be a bit much at times but I never want to make you uncomfortable. You know that, right?"

Though Rachel said that with her patented Rachel-smile, this close to her, Max could see the real concern in her eyes. It helped put her at ease.

"Yes," Max nodded. "And I am. Comfortable, I mean. It was a bit much at first but you're always so good to me. Always aware of my limits. And you always adjust." Max smiled. "Sure, you push. But that's because you're you. You only want me to poke out of my shell a bit more each time. But at the same time, you never shove. Never force. Because that's not you." On impulse, Max reached forward with her hand and brushed a lock of Rachel's hair behind the blonde's ear. She blushed slightly at how forward she was being but continued. "This is you. Normal Rachel. And I like normal Rachel."

Rachel blinked. Whatever she was expecting from Max, such warm and kind words most definitely weren't it. The upswell of emotions caught her off-guard and she sniffed. "Fuck, Max. You're so damn sweet, you're gonna make me cry."

"Oh, I'm s--"

Rachel slapped a hand over Max's mouth. "Don't say it!" She caught Max's stunned expression and softened her voice. "That was a compliment, you doof," she explained as she wiped at her eyes with the other hand. "And besides, I don't want Chloe coming over here and spoil the moment by tickling you half to death."

When Rachel lifted her hand, Max gave her a sheepish grin. "Gotcha."

Rachel smiled in return. Max was just too damn cute for words at times. But now wasn't the time for words. It was time for action. She placed her hand on top of Max's where it rested on her abdomen and slowly intertwined their fingers together. Then, with careful deliberation, she raised their joined hands together and gently pinned Max's hand above her head. She saw the blush grow on Max's face once more and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Is this okay?"

Max gulped. She and Rachel were very much fully clothed. Rachel wasn't laying on top of her. Her left hand was being held in a grip no firmer than a handshake. Her right remained free. But, she was pinned. A Domme was pinning her to the seat. Rachel was pinning her to the seat. Holy fuck, she was getting incredibly turned on. She bit her lower lip. Shifted her hips. Squeezed her thighs together. And tried to remember how to words.

"--es," Max croaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Y-yes." At her words, Rachel grinned and leaned a bit closer. Max could see something growing in Rachel's eyes, something intense, something that threatened to swallow her whole. Max trembled ever-so slightly. Anticipation or fear? She couldn't tell. Maybe that should've freaked her out but it didn't. She wanted this. Whatever "this" was. For Rachel to take her? Claim her? Was she ready? She didn't know. She was confused. Scared? Why be scared of Rachel? She wanted this, right? Submit to the Domme. That was right. Right?

Rachel could sense something was up. Max hadn't moved, hadn't shifted one bit, but she was trembling. She could feel it. Through her hand. Through her body where she was touching Max. That was enough to give Rachel pause. She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Centered herself. And realized she was coming on incredibly strong. It was too much for Max to handle. Too much for a fun birthday party. And way too much for a friendly, even if delivered with love and care, kiss.

She took another deep breath. Forced herself to slow her roll. She opened her eyes once more and took in the sight. Max was breathing heavier, laser-focused on Rachel's face. Her lips. There was want in her eyes. But it was clouded. Uncertain. Like she was struggling with herself. And considering what Max knew, or, more importantly, how little she knew, she was likely unaware of exactly what was happening. Which was exacerbating her confusion.

So, Rachel leaned back. Gave herself and Max some space. Released Max's hand only to cradle it in hers. Gently brought that same hand over to her lips and very gently kissed Max on the palm of her hand. Then, lowered their hands until they were resting back on Max's abdomen. "Sorry, Max."

It worked. The slowing down, the pulling back, the apology, Rachel could see Max's entire demeanor calm. Confusion was clear in her eyes but it was a normal confusion. The one Max gave when trying to puzzle out something. "What's... Why did you…?" Max blinked. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because, without even realizing it, I was coming onto you. Hard. And you were reacting to it quite strongly. But, it was too much. Way too much." Rachel squeezed Max's hand. "I was overwhelming you and you didn't know how to stop me."

"Oh." Max shifted slightly. Now that Rachel wasn't about to kiss her (ravish her, take her, claim her), Max could see what she was talking about. "I think," Max said after a moment, "you're right. It was a bit much." She then gave Rachel a kind smile. "But, you were looking out for me. Again. And you stopped." This time, it was her that gave Rachel's hand a squeeze. "Thank you."

"Always."

Rachel reached up and cupped Max's cheek, brushing her thumb across the freckles there. Max closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, which helped ease Rachel's own worry that she had ruined the party mood. "May I still give you a birthday kiss?"

"Always," Max repeated softly.

With that, Rachel leaned down and gently kissed Max. It wasn't the one she had originally planned to give but was all the more sweeter for it. She remained on her side, making certain she didn't roll atop of Max and scare the poor girl. But, she was still Rachel Amber, so she was certain to use her teeth to give Max's bottom lip a little nibble. Hearing Max's breath catch in her throat was pure music to her ears. She hoped to hear more of that sweet music later.

Rachel slowly broke the kiss, then placed a playful peck on Max's nose and chin, giving Max a case of the giggles. She started crawling back over Max but, perhaps inspired by her girlfriend's antics, collapsed on top of her instead. It didn't hurt either girl but both their breaths came out in a huge whoosh! "Sorry, Max! I must've slipped. I don't know how that happened."

Max snorted out a laugh. "I'm sure I believe that." She placed her hands on Rachel's shoulders and gave her a push. The girl didn't budge.

Rachel lifted her head and quirked an eyebrow at Max. "Trying to get rid of me so soon?"

"You know it!" Max said with a wide grin and shoved even harder.

Rachel shot her hands out and gripped the arm rest above Max's head, keeping herself anchored. "You'll never be rid of me!" she cried out, laughter in her voice.

Max giggled and decided it was time to call in the reinforcements. "Chloe! Come get your barnacle girlfriend offa me!"

Chloe slapped Steph on the legs and beckoned her to join her. "Let's go. We got a blonde to steal!"

"On it!"

Rachel whipped her head around, a wide smile on her face. "Don't you two dare!"

Steph grinned as she grabbed for Rachel's wrists as Chloe grasped her girlfriend's ankles. "Oh, we dare all right! On three?"

"Let's do this! One! Two! Three!"

Rachel, too busy laughing to fight back, was hauled off of Max, then held suspended off the floor between Chloe and Steph. The two girls shuffled back to their couch, somehow managing to keep Rachel from dropping to the floor while everyone else in the room whooped, cheered, and chortled. Max hauled herself upright and just barely kept herself from clapping like a little kid. Dog, she was having such a good time! Seriously, best birthday ever!

Once Rachel was dumped onto a couch, Steph sitting on top of her to stop any escape attempts, Kate rose from her chair. She joined Max on the love seat, turning to face Max fully. Max turned as well, one leg hanging over the edge of the seat, the other curled beneath her. Kate smiled and reached forward with both hands, palms up. Max slid both of her hands in Kate's, mimicking her actions from a few hours ago, but this time, under much more joyous circumstances. Max was only partially aware that the room had quieted significantly.

Kate gave Max's hands a gentle squeeze. "Happy birthday, Max."

"Thank you so much."

"Have you had fun today?"

"Oh, dog, yes!" Max said with a nod. "The best birthday party ever. Best party ever. Best day ever! My cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much."

"I'm extremely happy to hear that." Kate looked past Max for a moment. "Everyone here was so eager to pitch in and help, getting the food, the decorations, the games." She looked back. "We're all so happy for you and wanted to make this such a special day, all for you."

"Thank you." Max turned and looked at the other girls in the room. "All of you, thank you so much."

A collection of "you're welcomes" and the like sounded out from the room.

Max turned back to face Kate, who gave her hands another gentle squeeze. "I know this is your day but I was hoping to ask you a tremendous favor."

"Absolutely, Kate. Anytime. You know that."

"Thank you." Kate then cleared her throat. "Can you take the lead on our kiss?"

Max blinked. "S-sure! I mean, I'll do my best." She tilted her head to one side. "How come, though?"

"Well, it's because..." As Max watched, Kate shifted in her seat, looked away for a moment, then turned back. "Because this will be my first kiss." Her cheeks colored slightly at the admission.

"Oh?" Max's eyes widened as comprehension dawned. "Oh! Um, okay! Sure!"

"Thank you ever so much."

"You're welcome. Um." Unfortunately, during the quiet moment when she was trying to decide how to go about giving Kate her very first kiss, Max's brain started doing its thing. She blinked as a thought occurred to her. "But, um, do you really want to waste your first kiss on me? I mean, shouldn't it be with someone, I dunno, worthy of you?"

Max's back was to the room, so she failed to notice every single person stare at her in various states of disbelief and outrage that Max would ever consider herself unworthy or a waste. Rachel even cupped a hand over Chloe's mouth, fearing her girlfriend was going to detonate.

Kate didn't take her focus from Max but could feel the room's sentiment. She shared it, after all, though she didn't allow any of it to appear on her face. Instead, she gave Max's hands another soft squeeze. "You, Max, are my very best friend. Ever since we, quite literally, ran into each other here at Blackwell, we've grown so close." The two of them shared a smile as they recalled their embarrassing first meeting. "We talk, we hang out, we even have our tea dates. You are kind and wonderful and so incredibly thoughtful. You are a joy to be around and just being near you makes my day so much brighter. I can think of no one more worthy than you and would consider it an honor for you to be my first kiss."

When Kate was finished, she calmly waited for Max's reply. It was going to take a bit, though, if her hanging jaw was any indication. Kate lifted a hand to cover her growing smile. Gosh, Max was so cute when she was floored! But she spoke to absolute truth. It was her first kiss. And she'd love for it to be with her very best friend.

Eventually, Max's brain rebooted, though she was still utterly flabbergasted. That Kate thought so highly of her, that anyone would think so highly of her, was inconceivable. So much so that her only response to Kate's speech, once she regained the ability to speak, was a shy, "...really?"

Kate nodded. "Really." She could've elaborated more on the subject but opted to remain quiet and let Max absorb her words.

"...wowsers." Max cleared her throat. "Um, okay. I, uh..." She shifted in her seat, suddenly nervous. "I better not screw this up, then, huh?" She swallowed. "Um, just to warn you, I'm not really sure how to go about this? I mean, I've gotten so many wonderful kisses, so many different approaches, but I've never done the approaching, you know?"

"I understand. And all I can say is, take a moment, then do what feels right? Except, maybe don't do what Courtney did. I doubt I could handle that."

Max laughed as did several others. "I couldn't handle it, either!" She and Kate shared a grin. Then, Max's grin softened. She took a moment to just look at her friend. Beautiful, wonderful Kate. Do what feels right... Max released Kate's hands and brought them up to gently cup Kate's face. She brushed her thumbs against Kate's cheeks and watched as Kate closed her eyes and seemed to melt into her touch. Max felt her heart soar in response. Was this what it was like for everyone else kissing her today? If so, then wowsers!

Max shifted her weight and leaned forward. This was it. She had no idea if she was going to be any good but this was Kate's first kiss. Time to give it her all. She closed her eyes, could feel Kate's breath on her own lips, then closed the gap and kissed her.

It was tentative. Soft. So light it almost tickled. Max continued to kiss Kate, teasing, coaxing. She tilted her head to the other side, changing angles, and strengthened the kiss. She could feel Kate responding, heard her moan ever-so softly, and groaned in response. It was such a heady feeling, to know she caused this, helped Kate feel this good. Dog, she never wanted to stop.

It was Kate that broke away first. She had to. The kiss felt good. Really, really good. But, as things started heating up, some part of her realized that even though she asked Max to take the lead, neither of them had any experience in this, and Max may not know when, or even how, to stop. So, it was up to her, as a Domme, to apply the brakes. But gently. No need to make Max feel self-conscious. If Kate jerked her head back, broke the kiss that abruptly, she knew for absolute certain that Max would spend the rest of eternity blaming herself.

So instead, she leaned back slowly. Eased off the kiss. Max, fortunately, stayed put and didn't follow. When Kate opened her eyes, she could see why: Max was lost in the moment, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, drifting in her own little world. It was tempting, God knew it was so incredibly tempting, to lean forward and recapture those lips. But, she held back. She gave and received her kiss. No need to be greedy.

Not yet.

Kate waited until Max's eyes fluttered open, then gave her hands one last squeeze. "Thank you ever so much, Max. That was delightful. A perfect first kiss." Her smile turned impish. "No slobber at all."

Max giggled and heard several chuckles behind her. "You're welcome." She cupped her own cheeks and started massaging them. Man, her face hurt! Who knew that smiling so much would cause that? But she couldn't stop. Even as Kate rose from the chair, even as she turned around to face the room proper, knowing the party was pretty much over, she just couldn't stop smiling.

Someone hopped over the back of the seat and plopped right next to Max, startling her. When she turned to see who it was, she slapped both hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. It was Chloe, except she was wearing Steph's beanie, Rachel's flannel, buttoned up, and what must've been Stella's glasses. Her hair was tucked completely under the beanie as well. "Chloe, what the hell?"

Chloe grinned and jammed a thumb at herself. "Hey, my name is Elizabeth. I don't know who this Chloe person is. I just want my turn kissing the birthday girl."

Max snorted. "Oh, really? Well, 'Elizabeth,' unfortunately, you just missed the party. No more kisses allowed."

"That's not fair! I just got here! And besides," Chloe said with a waggle of her eyebrows, "I was told you're getting one kiss per year reached, plus one for good luck. I only counted 10."

"And how could you count 10 kisses if you just got here?"

Chloe waved that aside. "Details! Anyway, pucker up. I wanna kiss you, too!"

Max rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. But first, close your eyes. I'm terribly shy, you know."

"Deal." Chloe closed her eyes and leaned in. She, therefore, completely missed the evil smile Max gave the room a before she shot forward and licked Chloe's mouth and nose. Chloe squawked in surprise and fell back, nearly falling off the love seat in the process. She watched Max launch herself from the chair and take cover behind Rachel's sofa. "Blech!" She wiped her mouth on her sleeve as she stood. "You're gonna pay for that, Max Tongue!"

"Gotta catch me first, Lizzie!"

Chloe grinned, delighted that she got Max to just play with her. She took a huge step forward and nearly fell on her face when Dana, still seated on the floor, imitated a koala and wrapped her arms and legs around her right leg.

"Run, Max!" she shouted. "I'll hold her off!"

"You're not getting away that easily!" Chloe stepped forward with one leg and did her level best to drag Dana with her. She managed 4 inches, arms outstretched, grasping towards Max. "C'mere!"

Rachel took that moment to shoot upright from the couch and wrap Max in a bear hug. "I got her for you!"

"No!" Max wiggled ineffectually, laughing the entire time. "Help! Someone!"

"I got your back!" cried Steph as she wrapped Rachel in her own bear hug and tried pulling her free from Max.

"Traitor!" was Rachel's response.

Very quickly, the room divided into two camps: those trying to help Chloe reach Max, and those trying to prevent that from happening. Of course, it was a complete stalemate but no one really minded. They were too busy having an absolute blast, laughing, just being kids again. And even as Max squealed as someone's fingers found her ribs to tickle her into submission, there was only one thought going through her head:

Best. Birthday. EVER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such incredible fun writing this chapter. Perhaps too much. Again, I apologize for the length.
> 
> The thing with Brooke was one of those from-left-field additions that never showed up in any plans but my fingers just spit out. I liked it, though, and discovered it opens up a few conversational gambits in a later chapter or two as well, which is a nice bonus.
> 
> For anyone wondering, yes, Taylor and Victoria will get to give Max their kisses when they get back to Blackwell, though I haven't nailed down it that would be the same day, Saturday, or Sunday. Time will tell, though I have some major plans for Victoria's smooch.
> 
> I did my absolute damnedest to keep this chapter light-hearted, fun, and fluffy. I really hope that came through. At several points, I had to steer things away from getting, not exactly angsty, but more serious than a birthday celebration should be. All of the altered dialogue was still within character, though. Just, not now. Maybe later.
> 
> Tentative plans for the next chapter include Max chatting with Brooke and the rest of the ladies coming to a mutual realization about our resident hipster photographer.
> 
> Edit: I completely forgot this before but if anyone wants to chat about the story outside of the comments section, hit me up at [https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com).


	24. After-party

Max felt light. Giddy. And she couldn't stop smiling. She wondered if this is what it was like to be high.

In the aftermath of Team Max vs Team Chloe, everyone had to take a few minutes to just calm down and get the giggles out of their system. Afterwards, though, it was clean-up time. However, when Max tried to step up to help, she was quite firmly rebuffed.

"Birthday girls don't help clean up their own party," Kate had explained, everyone nodding in agreement.

"But, there's so much to do," Max protested. "It wouldn't be right to just leave."

"How about this," Rachel interjected. She handed Max a paper plate that held a comfortable slice of the birthday cake and a couple of plastic forks. "I know I said I'd do it but it might be better for you to take this to Brooke instead. Kind of like a peace offering, in a way. Tell her you wanted to make sure she was doing okay, then you can chat with her about the whole Warren deal. Sound good?"

Max considered it, then nodded. "Okay, yeah, that does. But afterwards, I'll be back to help clean up."

"Don't worry about that," said Dana. "We actually have a perfect clean-up solution that doesn't involve dumping everything onto poor Samuel."

"Oh?"

"Yup." Dana pointed at the floor. "We're gonna call the boys up and offer them all the leftovers in exchange for taking out the trash. They'll do nearly anything for free food."

Max laughed at that. "Good thinking."

Chloe clapped Max on the shoulder. "You talk things out with Miss Panic, make sure she's all right, and if you somehow get done before all the testosterone does, just hang out in your crib. A bunch of us will swing by afterwards and figure out what our next grand adventure oughta be."

"Okay," Max said with a nod. Then, before she left, she started giving everyone in the room a quick hug. "Thanks again for a kick ass party, guys. It was so much fun."

"Day's not over yet, Max," Steph pointed out. "Just the party."

"And we still have to take you out for ice cream!" Dana pointed out.

"Not anytime soon, I hope," Max said with a grin, patting her stomach. "I'm still stuffed."

Juliet smiled. "Pretty sure all of us are, so it'll likely be much, much later."

"Gotcha." Max gave everyone one last smile. "See you in a bit, then."

A variety of "byes" and friendly waves followed her out of the common room. Max let out a happy sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this damn happy. She almost felt like dancing down the hall. Almost. But still, she felt so wonderful, like she was on top of the world. She wanted this feeling to last forever.

Max quickly found herself outside of Brooke's door. She couldn't hear anything from inside but that wasn't unusual. Brooke was usually pretty quiet, never blasting loud music or anything like that. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hoped Brooke was still in her room. She could be outside flying her drone. Only one way to find out for certain. Max took a moment to screw up her courage and gave the door a knock.

"Come in."

When Max opened the door and let herself inside, she was immediately inundated with posters. Lots and lots of posters, covering every wall, the cabinet, with a few even on the ceiling. Galaxies, nebulae, solar systems, constellations. A large variety of space ships from all sorts of sci-fi movies and shows. Actual schematics of planes, rockets, and shuttles. And a few robots. It was completely nerdy and totally awesome. Max had to grin. "This is so cool."

Brooke, who had been working on her drone with her back to the door, whipped around the moment she heard Max's voice. She fidgeted, suddenly nervous. She hoped that all Max wanted was to mock her for running away like a fucking idiot. She figured she deserved it for all the times she sniped at Max over the past few weeks. She wasn't sure how she would handle Max asking her about the kiss or, even worse, asking for another one. "H-hey, Max. What's up?"

Max turned away from all the posters and stepped forward. "Nothing much. Just wanted to stop in and make sure you were doing okay. Oh, and give you this." She handed Brooke the cake and forks. "Rachel mentioned you love chocolate."

Brooke blinked. "Oh! Thanks." She took the proffered dessert with a quiet sigh of relief, then raised an eyebrow at the plate. "That's a pretty hefty slice."

Max nodded. "I thought so, too, so maybe you could share it with Warren? Dana and them said they'd be calling the guys to help them clean up in exchange for the food and drinks but there wasn't a ton of cake left, so there's a chance he won't get a slice otherwise."

"That's true, especially with all the jocks," Brooke said with a nod. "And it's nice that one of the layers is yellow cake."

"How come?"

"Warren's a bit allergic to chocolate," Brooke explained. "Nothing life threatening but it does cause him to itch. This way, I can have my part and he can have this."

"Smart." Curiosity gripped Max and she to motioned towards the machine on Brooke's desk. "I take it something's wrong with your drone?"

"Yeah." Brooke set the plate aside, relaxing as she stepped fully into her element. "I noticed on the diagnostics that engine #3 was pulling a bit harder than the others so I was trying to fine-tune it."

Max had no idea which one was engine #3 but figured it wasn't important at the moment. "I'm assuming that affects the flying negatively?"

"A bit. Mainly, it affects flight stability and can mess with picture quality if I'm actively recording with the camera. It's also a slight drain on power, though that's negligible."

"You know, I've always wondered, do you own other drones besides this one?"

"I did. This one is actually a replacement for my first one. It got destroyed by a purposely thrown football during the first week of classes." Brooke snorted. "Dickhead."

Max heard the derision in Brooke's voice and was glad it wasn't directed at her for once. "While I don't doubt it was on purpose, how did you know for sure?"

"'Cause I was actively recording the jerk when it happened. Nice close-up and everything." Brooke grinned. "He tried arguing, of course, said it was an accident, but since the video was automatically streamed to my tablet and saved, I had all the proof I needed to turn his ass in."

Max matched Brooke's grin. "I bet he was thrilled."

Brooke snickered. "Yeah, especially when Principal Wells told him he could either pay me back or be removed from the team, and then still have to pay me back."

Max gave a mock wince. "Harsh. But I'm glad he got his."

"Damn right. This drone was actually an upgrade compared to the last model, meaning I did have to pay for the difference, but it was worth it."

Max nodded, then took a deep breath and let it out. Here goes. "So, um, after you left the party, Stella and Dana mentioned something that got me thinking. About why you might not like me that much. I just wanted to explain that I'm not interested in Warren." She shook her head. "He's just a friend, that's all. And I know you're into him. Like, a lot. You called him your Dom earlier. I'd never get in the way of that.

"Some people tried to tell me that Warren digs me," she continued, "but I can't believe it. He has you, after all." Max turned to face Brooke, who was busy staring at her. A good sign? At least she wasn't scowling. "And I think you're perfect for each other. So, um, if you see Warren talking to me, it's only because he's being friendly or maybe feeling protective. Like 'Dom watching out for a sub' kind of deal. It doesn't mean anything more than that. But, I'll do better about turning down his offers for after class tutoring. I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Jesus-fucking-Christ. Brooke blinked owlishly at Max before dropping her ass on the edge of her bed. She brought up her hands and scrubbed them across her face behind her glasses, shooting a mental apology to Kate. Seriously, how could Max be so unbelievably dense about Warren's attraction? At least she knew for absolute certain that Max wasn't playing hard to get with Warren and not just because of her little speech just now. It was her behavior at the party, her near-complete freak-out at the thought of kissing all the girls there, that finally clued Brooke in. She'd never seen Max behave anything close to that with Warren or any guy for that matter. That was informative enough for her.

"Brooke? Everything okay?"

Oh, right. She needed to respond to Max. She lowered her hands, adjusted her glasses, and did her level best to keep the incredulity from her voice. "I appreciate you telling me this. I… I'll admit I was a bit jealous of all the attention Warren was giving you but hearing you say you're not interested, that means a lot." Which was totally true. "Warren's been taking Dom classes, too, so you're probably right about him just being protective and friendly." Which was totally not true. "So, thanks. I mean it." She just had to convince Warren to stop salivating after Max. Maybe telling him Max was gay would do the trick? And if he asked for proof, well, she did kiss Max. She could tell him about it and that she enjoyed it.

Brooke blinked. Max! That _Max_ seemed to enjoy it, not her! Brooke fought back a shiver. She thought the kiss was awful. Just 100% awful. Never again. Nope. Unfortunately, her brain decided at that exact moment to replay the kiss in ultra-high def along with all the confusingly wonderful sensations that came with it. She shook her head to clear it of the mental images. It. Was. AWFUL!

Seriously.

Upon hearing Brooke's response, Max closed her eyes and sighed in relief, managing to just miss Brooke's miniature freak-out. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm so glad we could clear the air. Maybe we won't be besties or anything but I never wanted to be your enemy."

"Same here," Brooke replied truthfully. She had always considered Max to be quietly cool with her dedication to photography, so completely different from Victoria. The picture Max took of Warren on Thursday, for example, was a powerful shot and wound up fueling more than a few raunchy fantasies. "But since you're here, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Max said with a nod.

"Are you gay?"

Max blinked. "Um…" That was a hell of a question, one she had asked herself recently. "I don't know for certain? I mean, I still find some guys cute, like some of the skater boys back in Seattle." Don't mention Warren, don't mention Warren. "It's just that, whenever I think of being in a real relationship or actually subbing for someone, it's always with a girl, not a guy." She shrugged helplessly. "Does that answer your question?"

"It does," Brooke said with a nod. "And with your permission, I'll be sure to tell Warren all of this so he understands what's going on."

Max nodded. "Yes, please. But, if you could also tell Warren I'm that-word-I'm-not-allowed-to-say, I'd appreciate it."

Brooke snorted but grinned. "Sure. Just don't be surprised if he comes asking for confirmation."

"That, I'm sure I can handle." Max shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'll go ahead and get out of your lair so you can finish working on your drone. Thanks for hearing me out."

Brooke rose from the bed and walked Max to the door. "And thanks for stopping by, and for the cake. I'll see you around."

"Sure thing."

Brooke stepped out as Max left and grabbed her dry erase marker. She scrawled "Do Not Disturb" on her whiteboard, then went back inside, closed, and locked the door. She stood there a moment, thinking. About Max. About their just-concluded conversation. About Warren. About that kiss. About her and Max and Warren…?

No! Brooke shook her head again. Max didn't do anything for her. And dammit, she was going to prove it! She marched to her dresser, opened the bottom drawer, shoved aside the tacky Christmas sweaters there, and grabbed her preferred toy. She killed the room's lights, stripped off her shorts, then crawled onto her bed. She placed her glasses on her end table, laid back, and paused. Closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Relaxed. Brought to mind her favorite smutty twincest slash fic, the one where she imagined it was actually Warren and his long-lost twin brother, Aaron. And got quite busy.

 

* * *

 

Max left Brooke's room with a smile. That had gone a whole lot better than she anticipated. Maybe Courtney was right about Brooke being thrown off-kilter, making it easier to talk with her? An errant thought popped in her head and she snickered. Maybe she should kiss Brooke every time she needed to speak with her? Keep her off-balance and more open to actual conversation? She shook her head. Funny as the idea was, she couldn't purposely do that to someone who might be questioning her sexuality. Max knew how confusing that was thanks to personal experience. Plus, she could never be so bold as to initiate a kiss.

She gave the matter a bit more thought as she entered the bathroom. Maybe Brooke would ask questions about her own orientation. Maybe that kiss awakened something inside of her, putting her on a path of self-discovery. Kinda like the path Max was on herself. Or, maybe the kiss was just that: a kiss. No other special meaning behind it, other than being a nice birthday present, of course. Brooke would reflect on it, decide that while the sensations were pleasant, she had no sexual attraction to the same gender, and any lingering confusion would clear right up.

Max nodded to herself as she flushed. She had a feeling that would be the most likely conclusion. Brooke had Warren, after all. They'd been together since the first week of classes, ever since Brooke accidentally nearly dive-bombed Warren with her original drone. She had apologized profusely, he had waved it off, and then they proceeded to spend the next hour or so just talking. Max smiled to herself as she recalled the scene. She'd been seated nearby at a picnic table, just people watching, and witnessed the whole thing. It was such a cute moment, one that would've been perfect in a teen romantic comedy.

Another thought popped in Max's head, making her pause while washing her hands: did Brooke do that on purpose?

The bathroom door opening interrupted her thoughts. She turned and saw Juliet and Dana enter and gave both of them a smile. "Hey, guys."

"There you are!" Dana walked right up to her and surprised Max by giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Clean up's all done. How'd the talk with Brooke go?"

"Um..." Max blushed. Dana had kissed her so casually, like it was something they did everyday. It was very unexpected but also really nice? "I-- It went okay. Um, a lot better than okay, actually. I think Courtney had the right idea about approaching Brooke now."

"No glares sent your way, then?"

Max turned to the stall that had spoken in Juliet's voice. Nothing, it seemed, would ever get in the way of her learning new, juicy gossip. "Not today. She was actually friendly. She said the slice of cake was pretty big so I gave her the idea to share it with Warren later. She mentioned that he has a slight chocolate allergy so he'd get the yellow layer while she'd get the chocolate one. Then, we talked about her drone a bit and after that, the Warren thing."

Dana leaned up against one of the sinks. "Are you able to talk about it or is it private?"

Max shrugged. "I think it's safe. We didn't share any weird secrets or anything. I told her I wasn't interested in him and he's just a friend but I'll do better about not accepting his after class tutoring offers, so she doesn't get the wrong idea. I also told her that they're perfect for each other and there's no way he'd be interested in me when he has her."

A flush and Juliet exited the stall, Dana swapping places with her. Juliet began washing her hands. "And what did she say in response?"

Max finally remembered she should finish washing her hands as well. "She thanked me for telling her and admitted she was feeling a bit jealous of the attention Warren was giving me. So, yeah, I think the air is officially cleared." Max shrugged as she turned off the faucet. "Maybe we won't be best of friends but it'd be nice to not have someone else sniping at me all the time."

"I can understand that." Juliet eyed Max as both of them grabbed a paper towel from opposite dispensers. "Victoria and them have backed off of that, too, right?"

"Yes, thankfully."

"Any idea why?"

Shit, shit, shit! Max swallowed. Juliet was rather notorious for uncovering details for a story and had already admitted she had a keen eye for observation. If she started grilling Max about the reason why Victoria had backed off, she had a horrible feeling Juliet would be able to glean the truth from her reactions alone. Then, the secret would be revealed. And then, Victoria would kill her. "I'm, um, not allowed to say?" She winced slightly and looked everywhere else but Juliet.

Another flush interrupted Max's growing trepidation. Dana emerged from the stall and purposely walked between Max and Juliet, breaking their line of sight. "Don't worry about explaining, Max," she said as she started washing her hands. "Jules here knows how to turn off reporter mode. It's just a matter of convincing her when, sometimes." She then turned to the girl in question and gave her A Look.

Juliet raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, you got me. I won't pry." She looked past Dana at Max and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I honestly didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I find a mystery and I just can't help myself."

Max thought quickly. "I'll forgive you if you promise not to ask any more."

"Spoilsport," Juliet said with a small pout, then grinned. "Deal."

Max sagged in relief. "Thanks."

Dana finished drying her hands then put an arm around Max's shoulders. "That big of a secret, huh?"

"Um, it's just that I was just told not to share it with anyone. And I don't want to die."

Juliet giggled. "Yeah, Victoria's got a better glare than Brooke, that's for sure."

The three proceeded to walk out of the bathroom but stopped when they rounded the corner. There, standing in front of Brooke's door, was Warren. He turned to look their way and when he saw Max, grinned widely. "Max! Happy birthday!"

Max gave Warren a small smile as he approached. "Thanks." Internally, she was wincing. Warren was going to go for a hug, she just knew it. Which was going to be uncomfortable, considering what she just spoke to Brooke about. But if she refused, it would turn the situation _super_ -uncomfortable, something Max just couldn't stand. What was she--

Before she could panic further, something really odd happened. Juliet stepped forward with a bright, "Hey, Warren!" and stood in such a way that he would have to awkwardly walk around her to get directly to Max. Dana proceeded to sling her arm around Max's shoulders again and gave Warren a friendly wave even as she shifted slightly, partially shielding Max from him. Max blinked. Dana and Juliet's body language remained open and friendly, and it'd be easy to see their dual maneuvers as nothing more than coincidence. But, it was effective in halting Warren's approach.

Warren gave the trio a friendly, if slightly puzzled, smile. "Hey, Juliet, Dana. Yeah, when I heard the announcement, I went up the common room to help out but by the time I got there, everything was already finished. I saw the banner before it was taken down, though." He turned to Max. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday? I could've scored some tickets to the drive-in to celebrate."

"Honestly, I completely forgot the date," Max said with a slight shrug. "S--"

"So we decided to surprise Max with a party," Juliet interrupted. "We had a feeling that she might've forgotten, considering how busy she's been lately."

"Girls only, though," Dana interjected, giving Max's shoulders a squeeze. "Since we invited everyone on our floor, there wasn't going to be enough room for guys as well."

Warren nodded in understanding. "Makes sense." He then gave Max a friendly smile. "Well, since the party seems over, how about I take you out to lunch? As a birthday present?"

"I'm actually still stuffed from all the food and cake," Max said, patting her stomach. Thank dog it was the truth and she didn't have to somehow lie to him.

"But, hey, Brooke left the party a bit early," Dana stated. "Maybe you could take her to lunch? And she can tell you all about what you missed. She bowls a mean strike, let me tell you. Kicked most of our asses."

"I actually tried that," he replied, motioning behind him, "but she's written 'Do Not Disturb' on her door, so I didn't want to bother her."

"Warren." It was Juliet's turn to deliver A Look. "You're her Dom, aren't you? She's your sub, right? That sign's meant for us, not you. Go ahead and bother her."

Warren reached up and scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly conflicted. "Yeah, but--"

The sound of a door slamming caught their attention. The group spun around to see Brooke leaning out her doorway, dildo in hand, hair a frazzled mess. When she caught site of the group, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She then tossed the toy back in her room and proceeded to march down the hall towards them wearing a very determined look. Max's eyes went wide. And nothing else. Brooke was very much naked and didn't seem bothered by that fact in the slightest. Max couldn't help but notice her slightly flushed skin, hardened nipples, and a hint of moisture on her pubes. Holy fucking shit, what a fucking sight!

Warren, in the meantime, just stood there, utterly flabbergasted, as Brooke stepped well inside his comfort zone and put her hands on her hips. "Well? You just gonna stand there talking to the lesbians or are you gonna fuck me?"

"I--" Warren gulped audibly, unable to word good as all the blood in his head rushed south to his other head.

Brooke snorted and rolled her eyes. "Typical." She reached out, grabbed Warren by the belt buckle, dragged him back towards her door, whipped him around, and shoved him inside. The last thing Max saw of Brooke was her delightful ass as she stepped inside the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

In the ensuing silence, the trio at Max's door stood stock still for several long moments before slowly turning to one another. Juliet cleared her throat. "Well," the ace reporter said slowly, "that's certainly one way to get Warren off your back, right?"

There was a pregnant pause before all three of them burst out into laughter. Yes, yes it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took me a bit longer than normal due to what I call "writer's bump." It wasn't writer's block because I knew what I wanted to say; I just couldn't find the right sequence of words to get it started. Plus, there was another scene I was going to add after the Brooke and Max scene just wouldn't gel. I finally got through it after taking that extra scene and cutting it completely, pasting it into its own word doc. It's likely that it, or a variation of it, will show up later on it's own.
> 
> I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen next in the timeline. While I absolutely know what's going to happen in the near-future, I have no clue what's happening in the next 30 minutes, so to speak. Depending on how things go, I might wind up doing a time-skip of several hours to get to the evening. I want to avoid getting bogged down by minutiae that doesn't really have story relevance.
> 
> Remember, if anyone wants to chat about the story outside of the comments section, hit me up at <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>.


	25. Synesthesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shout-out to [simpletextadventure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpletextadventure/pseuds/simpletextadventure): thanks for all your fanart and your own work. Simply put, you are awesome!

Victoria pulled her Lexus into her reserved space at Blackwell ($100 per month and well worth the investment, thankyouverymuch), parked, and killed the engine. She didn't get out right away, though. Instead, she took a moment to tilt her head left, then right, cracking her neck to relieve the stiffness there. The four and a half hour drive to and from downtown Seattle wasn't a problem for her but she was still glad it was finally over.

She glanced over at Taylor who was still asleep in the passenger seat. Victoria gave her a soft smile. Taylor was still very much like a kid in that she nearly always fell asleep while riding in a car unless she was actively engaged in conversation. But, after visiting her mother in the hospital, Taylor was rarely in the mood for long talks so Victoria was always happy to let her zonk out. Unless she was brooding or excessively worried, of course. Then, Victoria refused to leave her be until she was satisfied that Taylor would be okay.

Victoria turned and glanced at Nathan in the backseat who was awake but not quite aware. He had volunteered to take the rear, even knowing that Taylor would just sleep the entire way back, since he, too, wasn't feeling up to conversation. His reason, though, was vastly different than Taylor's: he was blissfully content and was still basking in the attentions he received at the Chase Space Clinic. Victoria couldn't recall the last time she had ever seen him this relaxed and de-stressed. Even when he was drunk or stoned, Nathan was never this calm and peaceful. She thought it was a good look on him.

Nathan eventually opened his eyes and blinked at Victoria. "Taylor still out?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. She's a heavy sleeper. I'll nudge her awake in a second. Just checking on you, first."

"I'm good, V. But, if I forget to say it later, thanks. For everything."

Victoria nodded. "Always." She then turned to Taylor and gently shook her shoulder. "Hey, T. Wake up. We're back."

"Mmmmm…" was Taylor's only response.

Victoria nudged her again, a bit more firmly. "C'mon, Sweet-T, let's get you back to your room. You can stretch your legs, get in your own bed, recover a bit more."

"Hnnnngh." Taylor kept her eyes shut as she unfurled herself from the seat. "Mmmmm, 'kay." She smacked her lips and finally opened her eyes, blinking at the light. "What time is it?"

"About 4:30," Nathan replied.

"Okay." She turned to look at Victoria. "Dinner plans?"

"I'm going to touch base with Courtney first, find out her plans, if any. And I know you'll need a bit of time to rest and recover from the trip." No matter how much Taylor slept during a car ride, Victoria knew she almost always needed a short nap afterwards to reset herself. "So I'm thinking 6, 6:30?" She glanced at Nathan as well.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Same," Taylor said with a yawn.

"Good," Victoria said with a nod. "Then let's get out. As nice as this seat is, I'm going to need an ass massage and soon."

Nathan snorted as he popped his door open, Victoria and Taylor following suit. The three were grabbing their overnight bags from Victoria's trunk when the sounds of another car pulling into Blackwell caught their attention. Turning, they saw Rachel in her Civic pull into a space and in short order, she, Chloe, Steph, Kate, and Max all hopped out, chatting and laughing about something or other. As they watched, Rachel rounded to the back of the car and popped her trunk open, allowing everyone to grab a variety of shopping bags therein.

Victoria didn't pay their antics too much mind, though it was a touch unusual to see Max in such a large group of people. The hipster was more inclined to hang out with just one or two people at the most. Mentally shrugging, Victoria closed her own trunk and pushed a button on her key fob, securing her car. The loud beep attracted the other group's attention, who glanced in her direction. True to form, Chloe and Rachel proceeded to give her incredibly exaggerated smiles and waves. Victoria was about to respond in her normal fashion when she saw that Max was also waving in her direction, though her smile was genuine. She opted to simply give Max a short, friendly wave, then turned to walk towards Blackwell.

Taylor fell in step to her right, a smile brightening her tired face. "So...?"

Victoria kept walking forward, refusing to meet her gaze. "So...?" she repeated.

"Weeeeeeeell," Taylor continued with exaggerated slowness, "I just happened to notice that you didn't greet Rachel and her bae in your usual fashion." Taylor's smile widened. "Any particular reason why?"

"Fuck, T, you should know why. It was your idea, after all."

"Uh-huh." Taylor nodded. "And has it been working out?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I already told you about what happened at Phys Ed so I can only say the idea has merit. And there weren't any further opportunities to test the waters before we left yesterday." Victoria glanced at Taylor. "My next best shot will be Monday during Photography."

"Except Kate's there, too," Taylor pointed out. "She could be a deterrent. Or, at least, that's the excuse you'll use if you wait that long. Maybe you should try something sooner, like tonight or tomorrow afternoon."

"And what do you figure I could try?"

Taylor hummed in thought. "Maybe leave your door open when you know she'd around? You said it yourself, Max is super curious. If she sees your door open, she'll probably want to peek in and see what's up. That'll be your window."

Victoria considered the idea. "That's not a bad plan." She glanced over at Taylor, her eyes softening. "Thanks, T."

"Wait, wait, hold up." Nathan took a couple large steps forward so he was on Victoria's left. "Max? As in Caulfield? The 5' 5" photography nerd who's afraid of her own shadow? That's who we're talking about here?"

Victoria snorted. "And how many Maxes are there at Blackwell, again? Of course that's who we're talking about."

Nathan blinked. This was news to him. "Since when?"

Taylor leaned forward so she was looking past Victoria. "Since Wednesday afternoon, though there's a chance it's been something quietly going on for longer than that."

Nathan examined Victoria carefully, noticing how she refused to make eye contact with either himself or Taylor. How she hadn't protested or argued the point. How there was the tiniest smidgen of red now coloring her cheeks. After a moment, he mentally shrugged. "Huh. Not exactly who I'd peg you gunning for but hell, stranger things have happened. I think I'm walking proof of that."

No protests. No arguments. No sarcastic or pithy comments. Damn, Nathan really was feeling better. Victoria took a moment to mentally shelve every single caustic response she had already formed in her brain for possible retaliation, as none of it was needed. "It... caught me off-guard as well," she offered as way of explanation. She finally looked in his direction. "And I'd appreciate if you kept this under your hat."

Again, no protests. Nathan simply nodded. "I might give you shit, just you and me, but yeah, no problem. I take it no one else knows?"

"Courtney does," Victoria corrected, "but otherwise, no. No other Vortex, certainly."

"Hmm." Nathan gave the matter a bit of thought as they approached the doors to the dorm. "And does Caulfield know?"

Victoria paused as Taylor opened the doors for them, then sighed. "That's the real question, isn't it?" She shook her head as she entered and started climbing the steps to the girls' floor.

Taylor matched gazes with Nathan, who looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Max is a great many things," she explained, "but clueless is near the top of the list. I get the impression she has no idea the amount of girls interested in her and will never figure it out unless someone just outright says so to her face."

"Girls? As in plural?"

"Yeah." Taylor looked up in Victoria's general direction. "My gut tells me that there are more than a few girls that are also interested in Max, meaning Victoria has some pretty stiff competition."

"But you're helping her, right?"

Taylor nodded. "As much as I can, yes."

Nathan processed that, then nodded himself. "Good." He then walked past Taylor and gave her shoulder a soft clasp as he went. "Glad she has you in her corner, Taylor."

Taylor blinked in surprise at the friendly gesture. Totally unexpected and completely unprecedented. Something, she wasn't sure what, had happened to Nathan yesterday while she was with her mom in the hospital but whatever it was, it seemed to help quite noticeably. She hoped it would keep on happening. Maybe she'd ask Victoria about it?

She let loose another mighty yawn. Later, she thought to herself as she trudged up the stairs, exhaustion hitting her like a ton of bricks. She'd ask later.

 

* * *

 

Once Victoria got to her room, she dropped her overnight bag next to her couch and began stripping out of her clothes. She'd get dressed again later once it was closer to dinner time. For now, though, it was time to get comfortable.

Down to just her panties, she grabbed her phone and fired off a quick message to Courtney, then started some stretches. While she wasn't into yoga, she did like working the stiffness from her muscles after sitting for such a long period of time. She did the same thing after classes. She heard her phone chirp and glanced at the screen to read Courtney's reply:

 **Court**  
Come on over. I'll give you a rub down. Plus, I have a surprise for you.  


Hmm. That was intriguing. Victoria finished her stretches then stopped, considering what to put on. No need to get completely dressed but also no reason to dress like a slob. That wasn't the Chase way, after all. Victoria snorted to herself and opened her dresser, withdrawing a fresh set of pantyhose and carefully slipped them on. She was well aware that to anyone else, hosiery wasn't considered comfy clothes but she had Courtney to consider. This was really for her and, when it got down to it, Victoria didn't mind.

A minute later and Victoria was once again dressed her skirt but opted to put on a designer t-shirt, sans bra, instead of her blouse. She slipped back into her shoes, grabbed her phone, then left her room. One short trip later and she was at Courtney's room, giving the door exactly four knocks. At Courtney's response of "Come in," she let herself inside.

As soon as she entered, her nose was greeted by an incredibly welcoming scent. Something similar to a warm vanilla but with an undercurrent of fruit? Victoria gave the air a sniff. Not cherry, though. And not strawberry. It was much more subtle than that. Raspberry, perhaps?

Courtney, dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and shorts, finished placing an extra sheet on the outstretched futon and turned to face Victoria. She immediately noticed her Domme's attire and smiled. "Aw, you didn't have to do that!"

Victoria smirked as Courtney approached. "Of course I didn't." The two shared a quick kiss. Victoria then waited patiently as Courtney unfastened the clasp on her skirt and carefully drew it down past her ankles. Victoria stepped free and kicked the garment to the side. "I wanted to. For you."

"Thank you, Mistress." Courtney lowered herself to her knees and waited. At Victoria's nod, she reached forward almost reverently and brushed her finger tips along Victoria's hose-clad legs. Her eyes fluttered shut as she began to caress those legs in earnest, following the contours of Victoria's muscles. It was an intimately familiar series of notes she heard but it was a tune that never failed to entice.

Victoria watched as her sub ran her hands up and between her thighs and began placing open mouthed kisses along her legs. It sometimes amazed her how something so incredibly simple could mean so much. This is why she never minded wearing her hose. Her breath hitched as Courtney cupped her mons gently with one hand while the other reached behind to softly stroke her ass. While it wasn't enough to fully turn her on, it was certainly pleasurable. She knew, though, that Courtney was experiencing a much wider range of sensations than it appeared and she wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to experience the world as she did.

Far sooner than expected, Courtney slowed to a halt. She drew her hands to the front of Victoria's thighs and rested them there, then leaned forward to place a single kiss through the hose and panties, directly atop her Mistress' core. "Thank you, Mistress." She rose and gently took one of Victoria's hands in hers, leading her to the futon. "Here, Mistress. Lay face down and I'll work the kinks out of your legs and glutes."

"Glutes?" Victoria repeated even as she sat. "And not 'ass?' Someone's been studying."

"Har har." Courtney smiled as she picked up the remote for her stereo and clicked Play. "I actually have been, though. Dana's been a huge help."

Victoria turned to lay face down on the futon. "Dana?"

"Yes." Courtney eased Victoria's shirt up a bit, exposing her dimples of Venus. She got to work, kneading, pressing, squeezing, massaging. "She plans on studying sports medicine in college and wants to do either physical or massage therapy as a career. She's been giving me tips so I can better serve you."

Victoria groaned as Courtney worked out the soreness in her ass. "Fucking hell, Court, I'm giving you exactly two hours to stop that."

Courtney grinned. It was so wonderful to do these things for Victoria. Mistress worked so damn hard to excel at school, to be the perfect daughter to her parents, so her stress levels were normally through the roof. But, she always found the time to treat her friends well, to help Taylor every weekend, and assist Nathan with whatever was going on there. And then she went and did tiny things like this, putting on pantyhose just for her, when she absolutely didn't have to. Courtney could feel her heart swell. Contrary to popular rumor, Victoria really did care. Deeply and immensely. She just didn't want to show that part of herself to the world, thinking that everyone else would merely see her compassion as a weakness to exploit. Perhaps in time, she'd let a bit of that compassionate side emerge and show everyone what Courtney and Taylor already knew to be true.

Victoria, in the meantime, felt Courtney's hands roam to the outside of her hips and give them a vigorous shake, then work further down. She let out a long, deep breath. Fuck, this felt so damn good. And such a treat, too, made all the sweeter as this was something she never asked for but Court had volunteered one afternoon. It had become a staple in their lives ever since. She groaned again as a knot was worked loose. Court was hers. Her sub in all but official name, though Victoria had plans to declare her as such later. Perhaps around Christmas. It might be a bit cliché but it would mean so much to Courtney. And for her, there was precious little Victoria wouldn't do.

As Courtney worked down her thighs, Victoria began noticing soft music playing in the background. Not her usual fare. Not Courtney's, either. Something... jazz? The volume was very low, which explained why she didn't catch it until now. But it was nice. She sighed in contentment. "Interesting choice of music, Court."

"Do you like it?"

Victoria nodded. "It's different but pleasant. Relaxing."

"I'm glad. Because this is my surprise to you: the music, plus the scent in the room, is Max."

Victoria blinked. This was Max? She lifted herself from the futon and rotated her torso to look at her sub, who had paused in her ministrations. "You're serious."

Courtney nodded.

Victoria turned fully and sat up. "And how do you know this?"

"To best explain, I'll have to go back a bit. Is that okay?" When Victoria nodded, Courtney continued. "Several hours ago, Rachel came by and invited me to a meeting in the lounge. Said it was important and about Max. You were still gone so I went in your place." Courtney sat as well and placed Victoria's calves in her lap. She continued her massage. "It turns out, today is Max's birthday. Rachel, Kate, and a bunch of others wanted to throw an epic surprise party for her. It sounded like a ton of fun. But, there were some rules. One of which was no insulting the birthday girl." Courtney looked up. "I wasn't planning on doing so anyway because of what you told me before, but it was further explained that Max was having an incredibly tough time lately and could really benefit from having a grand day."

Victoria nodded. "Understandable."

"Another rule was to keep an eye out on her and make sure she was kept in good spirits. The way it was explained, Max is very introverted and while that's perfectly okay, when she gets lost in her own head, her mood can spiral downwards pretty fast." Finished with Victoria's calves, she moved to her feet. "It was up to everyone to help prevent that from happening."

"And did that happen?"

Courtney nodded. "A few times. And each time, it was apparent she wasn't aware of it. It never took much to bring her out of it, though. Usually a soft touch or something spoken was enough."

Victoria nodded again. "That all makes sense from what I've seen of her. But that doesn't explain how you know what she sounds and smells like."

"Almost there. One of the last things that was discussed was what to give her as a present. It was short notice so no real time to shop for her while also gathering party supplies. Brooke voted for a birthday spanking but was shot down. But then Alyssa suggested birthday kisses, instead. That won the vote."

"Alyssa?" Victoria said with a blink. "Seriously?"

"Mm-hmm. So, once the party was nearly over, everyone got to give Max a birthday kiss. One after the other. I took my turn fairly early on. Oh, and Max got her very first kiss right at the party." Courtney stopped her massage and turned to face Victoria fully. "It was practically a Disney moment," she said with a warm smile. "Her first kiss ever and it was from her childhood friend, Chloe." She nodded at Victoria's incredulous expression. "Yes, the blue-haired punk. I had no idea they knew each other from that long ago, either. I'm sure there's a story there."

True, and one Victoria could probably get from Caulfield later, if she played her cards right. She made a motion with her hand, indicating the room at large. "And this is Max?"

Courtney nodded. "Mistress, forgive me, but she was utterly delightful, such an unexpected joy. The moment my lips touched hers, I received such a wonderful cascade of sounds, and when I tasted her, I was enveloped in such a lovely scent." She nodded towards her stereo. "I wanted you to get a taste of that as well. These things were the closest items I could find that were a reflection of that moment." She turned to Victoria and, much to the blonde's surprise, began looking a touch nervous. "Does this please you, Mistress?"

Victoria considered the question. Part of her was irritated with herself for missing out on a perfect opportunity to kiss Max. But an even larger part was irritated at her own irritation. She wasn't out screwing around, she was out helping two of her best friends with their actually important life issues. Sucking face with Caulfield was a paltry non-issue in comparison. And now, here was her sub, growing anxious that Victoria might be upset with her for the crime of, once again, doing everything she could to greet her warmly and give her such a pleasant surprise. It was fucking ridiculous, so much so that she couldn't help but snort. "Come here," she ordered, opening her arms.

Courtney eased Victoria's legs from her lap and crawled up the futon to snuggle into Victoria's side. She felt the protective arms of her Mistress envelope her as they both laid down, and sighed in relief. She wasn't mad at her. Even though she had told Max that Victoria wouldn't be, it felt so good to get that confirmation.

"I am very pleased with you, Court," Victoria began, using her "aftercare" voice. "More than you know, so let me try. Whenever I travel from Seattle, you're here to greet me upon my arrival. It is such a comfort to know you're here and will always be here, and not because you're at my beck and call. It's so much more to me than that. The trip is an exertion, physically, mentally, and emotionally. You help me recover from it. Without you, I have a feeling I'd be much bitchier."

She heard Courtney's giggle and smirked. Victoria then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'll admit to you that I'm irritated that I missed the party but compared to the opportunity to do right by my two friends, to help them this weekend even as just a chauffeur, it's nothing. I'm actually more irritated at myself for being irritated, if that makes any sense. So, if I gave you the impression I was displeased by your efforts and by your rather pleasant surprise, then I apologize."

It was incredibly rare for Victoria to apologize for anything. It just wasn't her way. But, to have her say that meant the universe to Courtney, who felt her heart surge with emotion. Still, there was one more thing she could do for Victoria that should help soothe the remnants of aforementioned irritation. "You may have missed out on the party, Mistress, which was a shame because I know you would've kicked everyone's ass at the fencing and archery games, but you haven't missed out on kissing Max. It's still her birthday, after all, and technically, she's supposed to get 18, plus one for good luck." Courtney smiled. "There were only 11 of us there and Max can't kiss herself. She's still owed quite a few."

Victoria blinked at that. "That's... an excellent point." She turned her head towards Courtney and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Court."

"You're welcome."

"But now, I have something I need you to do."

Courtney blinked but replied without hesitation. "Anything, Mistress."

Victoria smirked. "Show me how you kissed Max. Because I know you, and frankly, I'm in the mood to be topped."

Courtney grinned widely, then hooked her leg over Victoria's lap and hauled herself upright. She straddled her Domme, gazing down at her, at the confident smirk, and nearly laughed. She loved it when Victoria let her take the driver's seat. She pinned Victoria's shoulders to the futon, lowered herself fully, and, with a quiet "As you command, Mistress," began to make sensual music with her Domme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the title didn't make it abundantly clear, Courtney is a synesthete. Specifically, her sense of taste and touch are hardwired a bit differently compared to others. There wasn't a good place within this chapter to explain it in nitty-gritty detail but in essence, things she tastes invokes different smells and her sense of touch invokes various musical notes. As a result, she avoids certain food and drinks as they smell inherently unpleasant to her but adores certain textures and clothing because they are an utter delight. She revealed this to Victoria very early on in their relationship, worried that she'd be rejected as being too weird or high-maintenance like others had done. Victoria, though, didn't even blink at the revelation. Instead, after some experimentation, she made some changes to her regime (swapping out perfume for scented oils instead, wearing tights and hose more often, etc.) to better accommodate Courtney's altered perceptions. They've been inseparable ever since.
> 
> Originally, this chapter was supposed to be chapter 26 but I had some major issues with the over timing of chapter 25 and things never, ever seemed to flow correctly. So, as is common with me by now, I skipped forward in time a bit and, with only a couple of incredibly minor alterations, this became chapter 25 instead. All is not lost, though: the original content has been saved and will make a good chapter 26; I just have to work out a couple of kinks. But, having that time skip means it'll not just be doable but also completely logical. So, just like Bob Ross, it wasn't a mistake, just a happy accident.
> 
> I honestly don't mind making this change, though, as it also gets Victoria back to Blackwell. She'll likely get her opportunity to give Max her birthday kiss a bit later. And, like I mentioned sometime ago, I have some plans in store for that smooch.
> 
> Edit: Why do I always forget this? Anyway, if anyone's interested, hit me up at <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>. Always happy to chat with folks!


	26. Thesaurus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't manage to post this chapter before the bowl of supers like I wanted. Sorry about that!

Seated between Kate and Steph in the backseat of Rachel's car, Max let loose another mighty laugh as Chloe continued her impersonation of Tillamook High's resident security guard. "'Ah ain't gunna tah-lur-ate yer attitude, Missy,'" she said in what had to be the best/worst Yosemite Sam impression on the entire West Coast, "'so open up that thar bag so ah can see whut's in-sahd!'"

"No more! Please!" Max was curling up against Kate, who was laughing as well. "I can't take it!"

"No, you gotta finish!" cried Steph, slapping Max's leg in her excitement. "Tell her what was inside!"

Chloe grinned. "So I said, 'Sure thing, Boss Hog,' unzipped my backpack, and upended it right at his feet. Lo and behold, out comes my school shit, about a half a dozen tampons, couple boxes of condoms, and one deluxe novelty cop vibrator, complete with lights and sound. And, I shit you not, the second it hits the ground, it turns on. So, yeah, here we are, in the middle of the crowded hall, surrounded by students, and there's this 10 inch dick rolling around, blue lights flashing, siren going off, and I just look him dead in the eye and say, 'You wanna frisk me, too, you perv?'"

Max and Kate just lost it, joined by Steph and Rachel who had heard the story before but were tickled pink by Max and Kate's reactions. Eventually, Max sat upright and fanned her face. "Oh, dog! I wish I coulda seen his face!"

"What did the guard say after that?" Kate asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Not a damn thing." Chloe grinned. "He turned so fucking red in the face, but I couldn't tell if he was pissed or embarrassed. Fortunately, the VP showed up and called him away, probably to spare all of us his inevitable eruption. I just put everything back in my bag like it was nothing and left."

"Please tell me that someone, anyone, gave you a high-five for that," Max said, wiping her own tears from her eyes.

"Three high-fives, several claps on the back from fellow students who were also completely done with his shit, and one phone number. I let Rachel take care of that last one. Oh, and one teacher who gave me a thumbs up." Chloe smirked. "So there's at least one adult there with a sense of humor."

Rachel was grinning as she slowed her car and put on her blinker. "I swear, your accent gets worse and worse every time you tell that story."

Chloe shrugged. "Well, to be perfectly honest, his actual accent seems to get worse and worse as time goes on, so it's probably still accurate."

"Have you ever seen this guy, Rachel?" Max asked.

"I haven't had the displeasure yet," was her reply as she turned into Blackwell's parking lot and pulled into a space.

"If you do," Kate said with a wide smile, "maybe you should carry your own novelty vibrator, so if he 'randomly' stops you for a search, you can give him a repeat performance."

There was a slight pause, then everyone in the car burst out laughing. "Oh, shit, that's perfect!" Chloe wrapped Kate in a one-armed hug as soon as they both exited the car. "You are awesome, Kate-Kat!"

Steph gave the pair a grin as she exited the car before Max. "Gotta watch out for them, Max. Next thing we know, Kate's gonna go punk on us."

Max laughed as she climbed out. "That'd be the best thing! Just like what I imagined at the party."

Rachel glanced over at her as she shut the driver's door. "Wait, was that why you just lost it and had to lie down?"

"Yup!" Max replied with a wide grin and a nod. "I had this mental image of Kate dressed as Chloe, playing Firewalk on her violin, then Chloe dressed as Kate with Alice looking up at her so confused."

Kate giggled. "Alice would definitely be confused at that."

Chloe turned to look at Kate, arm still around her shoulders. "Who's Alice?"

Kate looked up at Chloe, a warm smile on her face. "She's my pet bunny."

Rachel snapped her fingers. "That's right, you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Alice yet. She's, like, ridiculously soft. Friendly, too."

"She loves chewing on sleeves, though," Max added, "so be careful if you're wearing a jacket."

"I'm kinda surprised Blackwell let's you keep a pet," said Steph.

"It took a bit of convincing," Kate admitted, "but during the meeting between myself, my father, and the residency staff, my father pointed out that the rules seemed focused on preventing the noise caused by pets, like dogs, birds, and some cats. Other pets, like fish and reptiles, were still allowed, after all. So when it was demonstrated that Alice doesn't make any noise, they okayed it."

Chloe tilted her head in thought. "I've seen Nat Geo, though, so I know rabbits can make some noise, like screaming and whatnot."

"True. But, Alice is spayed, which calms rabbits down quite a bit, and this is a domesticated environment," Kate explained as everyone made their way to the rear of the car, "meaning no actual predators. Which, you can imagine, helps a lot more. She's pretty used to dorm life now." She smiled. "When we first got here, she'd rarely leave her cage, she was so nervous."

"Sounds like someone we all know," Rachel said, glancing towards Max as she popped her trunk open.

"Hey! I wasn't that bad," Max protested.

"Yes, you were," was Rachel's reply as she started divvying up all the bags in the trunk to their respective owners. "But that's okay. We love you anyway."

The loud beep of a car's security system activating interrupted Max's reply. She and the others turned and saw Victoria, with Taylor and Nathan, standing at the back of a Lexus. Judging by their overnight bags, they had apparently returned from some kind of trip. When she saw Victoria turn in their direction, Max gave her a friendly smile and a wave. After a moment, Victoria reciprocated, then turned and started towards the dorms, Taylor and Nathan in tow.

Max turned back to the group. "Well, even if I was a bit of a recluse, I'm better now, right?"

Rachel snapped her attention back to Max. "Oh, definitely. Of course, there's no way you could maintain being a total recluse with me and Chloe constantly dragging you out of your dorm."

Kate placed a friendly hand on Max's shoulder. "And if you recall, I was kind of the same way. I think we helped each other step out of our original comfort zones a bit."

As everyone started back towards the dorm, Steph turned to Max. "Just remember, there's nothing wrong with being an introvert and needing some me time. I'm kind of the same way and I suspect Kate is to."

"Quite right," Kate agreed.

Steph nodded. "I just happen to be a smidgen more social, that's all. So my upper limit, so to speak, is likely higher than yours."

"Gotcha." Max then bit her lower lip. "Um, speaking of which, when we get back, is it okay if I did take some alone time?"

"Duh." Chloe spun around and began walking backwards, facing the group. "We literally just said it's okay, Maxaroni. Just don't conk out completely and sleep through dinner or else we may have to beat down your door."

"No, nothing like that," Max said with a smile. "Just a little bit of me time to process and recharge, like you said," she explained, glancing towards Steph. "I'll probably also do my report from our interview, get that sent off."

Chloe blinked. "It's a Saturday, though."

"Yeah, but Miss Carter's assignment stated to do the report the day following an interview. I kinda don't want to risk finding out it is a big deal if I did an interview but waited longer than a day to do the write up."

"Definitely don't want to risk it," Rachel said with a grin. "Or, more accurately, don't want to risk disappointing such a powerful and good-looking Domme. Miss Carter is quite the woman, right?"

Predictably, Max blushed. "I-- it's not like that," she protested.

"Of course it isn't," Kate said. "Rachel's just teasing. Though she's absolutely right: Miss Carter is most definitely a gorgeous Domme."

Steph opened the main doors for the group. "And tall. She even has a couple of inches on you," she said, glancing at Chloe. "She has a really powerful presence, too. Like a Queen, but much gentler than Victoria."

"Fit, too." Rachel said as everyone climbed the stairs. "And built. I've seen her on the track once or twice in workout clothes." She glanced back at Max. "She's got some muscle definition, let me tell you."

Max thought back to when Miss Carter flexed her bicep at their impromptu meeting and nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

When everyone stopped and turned to stare at Max, she suddenly realized that admitting that aloud was probably a mistake. She shuffled her feet at the attention. "Um, it's just that, at our meeting on Tuesday, she, um, helped me out of my hiding spot because I got myself stuck. She lifted me free like it was nothing." She swallowed. "And when she helped me to my seat because my legs were numb... I, uh, couldn't help but feel her strength when her arm came around my waist." She looked down and away. "It felt really nice," she finished with a soft whisper.

Steph reached out and gave Max's shoulder a friendly poke. "Wow. I think you've managed to achieve the bucket list of half the population of Blackwell: be swept into Miss Carter's mighty arms." When Max popped her head up, face still quite red, eyes wide, Steph grinned. "Just teasing."

Max huffed out a breath in mock indignation but couldn't maintain her stern expression. "You, Rachel, and Chloe are all alike," she said with a small smile. "Always teasing."

"But that's okay, right?" Rachel asked.

Though said with a grin, Max could see it was a genuine question and nodded. "Yeah. None of you guys are ever mean about it and I know you mean well. And it's usually funny."

"Excellent," Chloe responded as the group stopped outside of Max's door. "So, when you're typing up your report for the hotness that is Miss Carter, whatever you do, don't imagine all four of us just as buff as her, lifting you up with our strong arms, and holding you close."

Chloe, knowing Max was a visual thinker, rocked back on her heels and waited. She and the others watched, bemused, as Max's face turned a darker and darker shade of red until finally, Max squeaked out something that may or may not have been "igottagobye," dashed inside her room, and slammed the door shut. After a moment, they heard Max cry out, "JERK!!"

Everyone chuckled as they continued down the hall, even as Kate looked at Chloe and said, "That wasn't very nice."

"Hey, you laughed, too!"

"I never said it wasn't funny," Kate replied with a grin, "just that it wasn't nice."

Chloe barked out a laugh as the group stopped at Kate's door. "Okay, I said it before but just to reiterate: you're awesome."

Kate smiled at her as she opened her door. "Thank you." She then looked at Chloe and Steph. "Oh, did you two want to step inside and meet Alice?"

"Hell yes!"

"Definitely." Steph smiled. "Thanks for the invite."

"Certainly." Kate opened the door wide and let everyone inside, placing her own shopping bag near her desk.

Rachel, having been in Kate's room before, immediately took a seat on the edge of the bed while Steph took the couch. Chloe went to the couch but didn't sit. Instead, she looked around the room, taking in the ambiance: a few band posters on the walls (presumably, all Christian bands); a couple art exhibit advertisements; a poster of a sunbeams breaking through storm clouds; a portrait of Jesus, though in a very different style than others she'd seen; a music stand with a violin case nearby; and an easel with a drawing pad propped up on it, a box of coloring pencils and another of charcoals nearby. "Huh. I know I don't know you all that well but this is very you. Reminds me of Max's room, in a way."

"Thank you." Kate went to Alice cage and opened it. "There's no doubt that Max's room is a reflection of her, filled with happy memories and nostalgia, of a perpetually more innocent time."

Rachel sat back on her hands as Kate carefully withdrew Alice. "And yours shows your quiet dedication to art and music, and to your faith. It feels welcoming, inviting." She smiled. "Just like you."

Kate blushed slightly. It wasn't often she received praise in this fashion. "Again, thank you."

Chloe snorted as she plopped down on the couch, seemingly taking up two whole cushions. "Man, don't ever visit my room, then. Unless you want a reflection that is the dumpster fire that's my life."

Steph slapped her on the shoulder. "She's full of crap. Her room is very Chloe: nothing but punk bands, brash quotes from movies, and a lot stream-of-consciousness screaming. It's like a giant middle finger to the universe at large."

"And don't forget the half-naked chicks!" Rachel playfully added.

Kate giggled as Chloe turned away, a bit of color rising to her cheeks. "I'm not the kind to judge, so if half-naked chicks make you happy, who am I to argue?"

Chloe cleared her throat, slightly discomforted at the thought of exposing sweet, innocent, Christian Kate to the bowels of her room. "Yeah, well..." She quickly looked around for a change of subject and found it in the form of a really fluffy bunny. "Is that Alice?"

"Yes." Kate stepped forward. "I'll place her on the cushion between you. Just, please, no sudden movements." When Steph and Chloe both nodded, Kate knelt down and gently placed Alice on the couch. "Give her a minute to acclimate, then, when you see she's relaxed a bit, you can pet her like so." Kate slowly lifted her hand so it was clearly visible to Alice, then carefully brought it down on her back. "She has to see your hand first, so she's prepared for physical contact. If you try to pet her from the back, she'll either jump off the couch and hide, or just go rigid."

"Got it," Steph said with a nod.

"Oh, and only one person can pet her at a time," Kate added. "She doesn't like feeling crowded."

Chloe smiled, never taking her eyes off the bunny. "Kinda like Bongo, way back."

Kate stepped back and took a seat next to Rachel. "Who's Bongo? A pet dog?"

"Cat," Chloe corrected. "Max and I would play with her all the time but she dictated when she got petted, not us. And, yeah, she only liked one person at a time, too."

Kate smiled at the fondness in Chloe's voice. "How old is Bongo?"

"Dead, unfortunately."

"Oh." Kate blinked. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Chloe gave a small shrug as she glanced up. "It happened a long time back, but thanks. Loved her to bits. Never could find it in our hearts to replace her, so afterwards, no more pets."

The room fell silent as Chloe decided Alice was relaxed enough to try petting her. She mimicked Kate's motions and, seeing no adverse reaction, gave the bunny a light stroke. "Wow. You're right, Rach. She's super soft. Like a real-life Peep."

Rachel smiled, watching her girlfriend give Alice another gentle pet. "Maybe when we graduate and move to LA, we'll get our own pet bunny. Someone to keep you company while I'm out raking in the millions with all my modeling."

"Um, excuse you?" Chloe gave Rachel a mock glare. "I think you mean me, raking in the millions with all my computer engineering."

"Wait, wait," Steph interrupted, looking at Rachel. "I thought you were going to rake in the millions with your acting?"

Chloe shrugged. "It changes every other week. Either she'll be a world famous model who gets into acting, or a world famous actress who is also a model."

Kate turned to the blonde next to her and smiled. "I can see either of those happening. You are stunningly beautiful and quite the talented actress, from what I gather from all your Theater work."

Rachel gave Kate a wide smile and a big hug. "Aw, thanks!" She turned to Chloe as she released Kate. "See? She believes in me!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Hey, I never said you couldn't, just that you'd have to be the one to watch our hypothetical pet bunny. Otherwise, who will?"

"Just ask Max to watch the bunny while you both rake in the millions," Kate said with a wide smile. She was surprised when her statement wasn't met with more jokes but instead, had Steph, Rachel, and Chloe all glancing at one another. Kate cleared her throat. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, you didn't," answered Steph. "It's just you managed to hit on a really fresh subject that we," she motioned towards Chloe and Rachel with one hand, "had only recently talked about and weren't quite sure how to bring up with you."

Kate blinked and ran the past minute of conversation back in her head, but couldn't see anything amiss. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

A hand fell atop hers. Kate turned to see Rachel looking at her with a serious, for her, expression. "I think I'll take a page from Chloe's book and just come right out and ask: do you like Max? As in, like-like Max?"

As Kate froze at the question, Chloe snorted softly. "Seriously, we need to to come up with a better phrase other than 'like-like.' It sounds ridiculous."

"Hold up." Steph whipped out her phone and unlocked it. "I actually looked this up since it was driving me nuts, too." She pulled up her web browser app and selected the tab with the thesaurus already open. "Okay, we have 'admire?'"

Chloe shook her head. "Nah. Makes it sound like she's a painting or something."

"Okay, what about 'appreciate?'"

"Not strong enough."

"Hmm. 'Adore?'"

"Eh. Better, but it also seems more one-sided."

"Yeah, I can see that. How about 'be sweet on?'"

Chloe snapped her fingers, not noticing Alice's ears flick up. "That, I like."

"Great! Then we use that instead." Steph closed her phone and placed it back in her lap. She gave Kate a small smile. "What Rachel meant to ask is, are you sweet on Max?"

Kate couldn't help but stare at the two but got a momentary reprieve from answering when Rachel buried her face in her hands and let loose a long, drawn-out groan. "Fucking hell, you two."

Chloe smirked. "Hey now, no cussing in front of the Christian. Isn't that right?"

"No, it's okay." Kate brought her hands up to her face and gave her eyes a small rub. "It was only a couple of days ago that I explained to Max that sometimes, you come across a situation where there’s just no better word to describe it other than 'fuck.'" She dropped her hands and gave the stunned room a small smile. "I'm fairly certain this qualifies."

Chloe barked out a laugh, loud enough to startle Alice into jumping from the couch to scamper under Kate's bed. "Ah, shit! Sorry, Kate!" She dropped to her knees and looked under the bed, seeing Alice eyeing her carefully. "I think I can reach her. Want me to try?"

Kate shook her head. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it and Alice will only hide further in the back if you try grabbing her. I'll lure her out a bit later."

Steph gave Chloe's leg a slap when the blue-haired punk retook her seat on the couch. "I didn't even get to pet her, you jerk."

Chloe, figuring more irreverence was in order, grinned and flopped sideways on the couch, putting her head in Steph's lap. "Here. Close enough?"

Snorting out a laugh, Steph reached down and eased Chloe's beanie off. "Eh, not as fluffy or cute but you'll do." She started brushing her fingers through Chloe's blue hair and snickered when Chloe started jerking her leg like a dog.

Kate and Rachel giggled as well, the mood of the room fun and easy-going once more. Rachel reached down and took Kate's left hand in her right again, drawing her attention. "Sorry. I suppose that was a rather abrupt question to ask that really needed a bit more context before being voiced."

"All is forgiven," Kate replied. "And I know you wouldn't have voiced it at all if it wasn't really important. But yes, if you don't mind, can you provide the context? And, why ask now?"

Rachel looked up to the ceiling as she organized her thoughts. "Yesterday," she began, "while Steph and I were hanging out, the subject of Max came up. Steph admitted she's interested in her but hadn't tried making a move because she knew I was into her as well. It caught me off-guard because I hadn't realized how true it was. But even still, I encouraged Steph to go for it since, well, it's Max. She's a sweetheart. And even if things didn't work out, Steph and Max would still wind up becoming great friends."

Steph picked up the conversation. "Afterwards, I ran into Max at dinner in the cafeteria and we got to hang out for a while, just chatting. She's pretty awesome and, like you probably already know, really sweet. Just like that, we became friends." She shrugged almost helplessly. "It was so effortless, so damn easy. You know what I mean?"

"Yes," Kate said with a nod. "It was the same with me. The very first time we met, we ran straight into each other. Literally. She was too busy looking through her camera, I was too busy looking at the Blackwell student guide." She grinned at the memory. "We spent the next minute scrambling for each other's stuff, apologizing over each other, then we just stopped, stared at each other, and had a big laugh about the silliness of it all. We got to talking and the next thing we knew, it was dinner time." Kate gave out a happy sigh. "We've been friends ever since."

"Nice." Steph sat back with a soft smile. "I purposely didn't put any moves on Max yesterday as I didn't want to scare her away. I don't work that fast. I'd much rather get to know a girl first before trying anything whatsoever. I'm interested, yes, but I also wanted to be her friend."

"And you are," Kate said with a gentle smile. "I can already tell in how she spoke with you on our trip to Tillamook, how she'd lean towards you in the car, how she'd hug you back when we were out and about. It was very much like when she hangs out with Rachel and, of course, with you," Kate said, looking at Chloe. "This was the first time we've ever hung out together but it's so obvious Max is completely comfortable with you, too. If it doesn't sound weird to say, it's incredibly heart-warming to see her have this many friends when she's really quite shy."

"She's super relaxed with you, too, Great Kate," Chloe replied. "Max can and will shrink into herself when surrounded by people she doesn't know or is uncomfortable with but with you, she's about as carefree as I've ever seen her."

Rachel gave Kate's hand a gentle squeeze, drawing her attention back to her. "When I left Steph yesterday after our talk, I really started thinking about Max, why I was sweet on her, and why that didn't make me feel incredibly guilty. I mean, I have a girlfriend who I love. I should feel guilty, right? But when Chloe and I talked things out, we discovered that we're kind of on the same page: we're both sweet on Max. And now, we're trying to figure out if we, the two of us, can date her."

Kate blinked at the revelation and looked towards Steph, more than a bit confused. "After the birthday party," Steph explained, "and before we all got together to head out, all three of us talked it out. And we're in firm agreement that our pursuit of Max wouldn't ever get in the way of our friendship with one another. I've known Rachel since the 7th grade, Chloe since 9th. We've had years to build a rock-solid foundation of mutual trust and, well, friendship." She nodded towards Chloe and Rachel. "They've always spoken with each other about important relationship stuff. This time, they included me."

"We're not going to let our lives become some MTV-shit teen movie of revenge and jealously and back-stabbery," Chloe interjected. "We're way too mature for that."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow up at her girlfriend, still laying on her side, head in Steph's lap. "Mature. Right."

One middle finger later, and Chloe continued. "I mean about relationship stuff, like Steph just said. Keeping stuff like that bottled up never helps. Rach and I found out the hard way that not talking shit out fucking sucks. You walk around, assuming you know what the other person is going to say or how she's gonna feel, and suddenly, you're spending all your time pissed off about hypotheticals and shit just keeps spiraling."

She reached down with one arm and gave Steph's lap a couple kind pats. "Steph, here, rescued our relationship and saved us from ourselves. She's so damn important to the both of us, so there was never any doubt we'd talk to her about this. And you." She pointed towards Kate. "You're our friend, too. A damn good one. We're not leaving you out. Plus, you're so close to Max, I figured maybe you were already into her but weren't sure how to approach things."

"We didn't mean to spring this out at you so abruptly," Rachel added. "And maybe the context was a bit long, but, like Chloe said, you're a good friend and you're always watching out for the well-being of others. This time, we wanted to watch out for you." She gave Kate's hand another gentle squeeze and fell silent, giving her time to process.

And process she did. Kate's gaze turned inward as she considered the original question: did she like-like Max? She smiled softly to herself. Chloe was right, it did sound silly. Okay, then, was she sweet on Max? Short answer: yes. A bit sudden to realize but not surprising. She thought back to everything she told Max before they kissed. Nope, not surprising at all. The long answer, though... well, that was going to take a bit more time. After all, it was only within the past 6 months that she came to fully accept she was gay and only 8 to accept that she really and truly was a Domme. Matters of the heart? She thought she would've had more time.

Waitaminute. Kate blinked. Actually, she did. It wasn't like Rachel, Chloe, and Steph were telling her they were going to propose to Max tonight or steal her away or something. They were telling her they were interested in Max. And it sounded like none of them had started pursuing Max in a romantic sense. Not yet. Rachel, Steph, and Chloe waited to tell her first. It was not just sweet of them, it was incredibly selfless. To tell her, a potential rival to Max's heart, that they were interested, to lay everything out like that... As Max would say, wowsers. It was incredible. And completely unheard of. That's just not the way things were done, right?

Finally, Kate lifted her gaze and looked around the room, taking in everyone's expectant expressions. They weren't nervous or anxious, though. Simply eager. She cleared her throat. "Um, to answer your original question, yes. I am sweet on Max."

Chloe shot upright and slapped a hand on her leg. "I knew it! You don't go asking someone to give you your first kiss unless you were."

"Oh." Kate blinked. "Wow. Was I being obvious, then?"

Again, Rachel gave her hand a small squeeze. "Maybe a teeny bit," she said, lifting her other hand and bringing her fingers really close together. "But I can guarantee you that not a single person at the party minded one bit. Max definitely didn't notice, that's for sure."

Kate giggled at that. "I believe you're right. I think that, in order for Max to really understand that someone was interested in her in a romantic sense, they'd have to wear a sandwich board like Nathan did on Wednesday."

Rachel laughed, bright and loud. "Should we start making them now, then?"

"Not on your life," Steph said with a wide smile. "Can you imagine of all of us showing up in front of Max like that? She'd probably freak out and pull an Alice."

There was another round of chuckles as everyone pictured Max buried beneath her bed, only her Chucks visible, red as a tomato.

Kate let out a happy sigh. "I really appreciate you three telling me all of this. I've never had friends like you before, who were so considerate and kind. Definitely not like the movies."

"Max brings out the best in us," Chloe stated. "And, like Rachel told Steph, it's less about who wants to date Max but instead, who would be best for her. As a girlfriend, as a Domme. Who am I to judge that I'm the best choice?" She shook her head. "I'm not gonna cock-block you or anyone who might be sweet on Max. Well, so long as they're not a dude."

"Cock-block?" Rachel gave Chloe A Look. "Seriously?"

"What?" Chloe asked with a grin. "Pussy-block doesn't rhyme, snatch-catch doesn't have the same connotations, and punt-cunt sounds too cruel."

Rachel just blinked even as Kate exploded in laughter. Slowly, she turned her gaze towards Steph, who was wearing a shit-eating grin. "You helped with this, didn't you."

Steph lifted her phone and gave it a small shake. "What can I say? I like the thesaurus."

"Pardon me, Kate," Rachel said as she rose from the bed and made a big production of rolling up her sleeves, "but I have to kill my friend."

Rachel then spent the next six minutes trying to drag herself away from Kate, who had wrapped her up in a bear hug (still giggling like mad) to reach Steph and do... well, something. Exactly what kept changing. Steph, still a safe distance away on the couch, decided that now would be the perfect time to use the thesaurus to find every synonym possible to describe Rachel's current mood, her face, and, thanks to Chloe's suggestion, her sexual prowess. She was in the middle of a new phrase involving the word "tigress" when Rachel finally wiggled free and attacked Steph's ribs with her fingers, causing Steph to dissolve into incoherent shrieks and laughter.

Chloe was no help, either way.

Several minutes and a few retaliatory strikes later, things had calmed down considerably. Kate was seated on the floor in front of the couch, having successfully lured Alice from her hiding space with a carrot chip. Steph was right next to her, giving the bunny the occasional pat. "I know I'm a broken record here but wow, she's so soft."

Kate hummed in agreement. "She loves being petted, too. Which came in really handy this morning with Max."

"Thanks, again, for being there for her," Rachel said.

"Yeah, dude," Chloe agreed, now sitting next to Rachel on the bed. "You knew exactly what to do. Like, you were perfect for her."

"In that moment, perhaps." Kate looked up at the two. "But, like you said earlier, who am I to judge that I'm the one for Max?" She had been giving the matter with Max some serious thought. "I've seen how she interacts with all of you and I think any one of you would be a great girlfriend and Domme for her." She turned away and looked down at Alice, watching her bunny sniff her fingers, looking for more treats. "The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I should even try. Maybe it'd be better to step aside and not interfere."

"Please, don't." Steph placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. "This is going to sound incredibly odd to say but I'd feel terrible if you did that."

"But, wouldn't it be weird for all of us to try dating Max at the same time? Never mind actually succeeding. What happens if Max accidentally starts dating more than one of us at the same time?"

Rachel slowly slid off the bed and shuffled closer to Kate, careful not to spook Alice. She reached out and took one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Before I answer those questions, I want you to do me a favor: close your eyes." She waited until Kate did so. "Now, picture Max in your mind. How it felt to be with her at the party, how it felt to get your first kiss from her. That wonderful moment when it was just the two of you and the rest of the world didn't even exist." Rachel saw Kate's cheeks turn slightly red even as a smile grew on her face. Perfect. "Be honest, would you like to feel that again? To experience that again?"

There was a long pause before Kate finally whispered, "Yes."

Rachel squeezed Kate's hand and, when she opened her eyes, gave her a bright smile. "We all feel the same way. So, don't worry if it looks weird from the outside. We're the only ones, all five of us, that get to decide what, if anything, is weird about it. No one else's opinion matters."

"And as for Max not realizing she's dating four hot chicks at the same time, I can totally see that happening." Chloe grinned. "But, I also don't see an issue so long as we're all on the same page and nothing is meant to be exclusive." She shrugged. "No bullshit."

"We're still trying to figure out how to tell her that won't make her freak," said Steph. "Chloe and Rachel explained that anything that breaks Max's low assumptions about herself makes her incredibly flustered and nervous. I saw a bit of that when I complimented her photography. I have a feeling that getting her to understand she's attractive and desirable, the object of romantic attentions, and that there are Dommes who would love to have her as a sub, would completely blow her mind but not in a good way."

"Maybe a group setting like this would work?" suggested Kate. "I mean, she accepted the idea of getting kissed by 10 different girls easily enough and that was similar."

Rachel looked between Chloe and Steph, a question in her eyes. Both considered Kate's proposal and nodded. "I think that has potential," Steph stated.

"But maybe not right away," Chloe interjected. "We still have dinner and an ice cream trip to wrap up Max's birthday. Don't want to overwhelm her or anything."

"True," Rachel agreed with a nod.

Kate let out a long, slow, sigh of relief. "I know I said it once already, but thank you. For being such great friends. I don't think I could've taken it if something I wanted caused you to hate me."

"Kate." Rachel gave her gentle smile as she retook her hand. "I solemnly swear that you pursuing Max romantically, asking her out on dates, getting serious with her, and even asking her to be your sub, will never cause me to be mad at you or hate you. You're my friend, just like Max, just like Steph. I love you just like them. And all I want is for you to be happy."

A gentle hand on her shoulder had Kate turn to look at Steph, who was smiling at her. "Same here. Rachel just says it better."

"Fucking A."

Kate snorted out a laugh and wiped at her eyes, a couple of tears falling down her face. When Chloe offered her a tissue, she took it with a grateful, "Thank you." She dabbed at her eyes and watched as Chloe's expression warmed considerably, her smile growing so gentle. It made Kate's breath hitch ever-so slightly and she ducked her head to hide the red on her cheeks.

Chloe grinned. Kate may be a Domme but she was so much more gentle than any other she'd ever met. "I know I said that Alice is a real-life Peep but you, Kate, are a genuine Marshmallow."

Kate giggled, feeling so happy, so full of joy. Was this what it was like to have a lot of friends who loved her? She leaned a bit to her right and was gratified to feel Steph reciprocate. It was going to take some getting used to but Kate was certain she would never regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's story in the beginning of the chapter was one of those weird-ass, "I have no idea what my fingers are doing" moments, when I just sat behind the keyboard and stuff just happened. I tested the humor out by reading the passage aloud to my roommates, a couple that has no interest in the game or the characters, and they loved it, so I figured it might be at least decent.
> 
> Overall, this chapter felt like it took forever, despite it actually only taking roughly a week. Part of it was me wondering if I should incorporate stuff that was cut previously. The rest was me reworking the chapter and several passages several times as I considered and sampled multiple approaches with Kate. I had a private meeting between her and Chloe, a private moment with just herself, Alice, and God, ending the chapter without any resolution and leaving it for later, and a couple others that escape me at the moment. Having her talk things out with Steph, Rachel, and Chloe, though, felt the best. Perhaps it's a bit unrealistic but, like Chloe said, I didn't want this story to become some MTV-shit teen movie of revenge and jealously and back-stabbery. There will be conflict and resolution, yes, but not like that.
> 
> Coming up next-ish: Max writes her report, interviews Dana, has personal revelations, and perhaps gets a smooch from Victoria. We'll see how things pan out with the timing of it all.
> 
> Edit: AGAIN!! I keep forgetting to put a link to my associated Tumblr account: [https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com).


	27. Dear Miss Carter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some Warren/Brooke naughtiness to be found near the end of the chapter.

Leaning against her door, face still red as a tomato, Max could hear her friends chuckle as they walked away. She grinned. That was Chloe, all right: always teasing. But like she had just said, it wasn't mean and it was usually pretty funny. And even though the mental image of all four of her friends buff and strong was less funny and more… What was the word Rachel used, again? Oh, that's right: intriguing. Yes, less funny and more intriguing, Max could definitely see how her reaction was amusing.

Shaking her head, Max stepped away from the door and spent a couple of minutes rifling through her shopping bags and putting her recent purchases away: extra film, a couple more tubes of her depilatory cream, lotion, shampoo and conditioner (she decided to follow Rachel's suggestion and try a different brand), another eyeliner pencil, and a couple photography magazines. Those she'd read later. She placed the magazines on her desk and spent a few moments just staring at them, imagining what it'd be like to be featured in one at some point in the future, before smiling. Any fame of that sort would be years and years away. But, it was a pleasant thought.

Max took a seat at her desk but didn't immediately go for her laptop. Instead, she opened her messenger bag and withdrew the photos she had taken during the party. She went through them, one at a time, a wide smile growing on her face. Among the photos there was Rachel curled up with Chloe, Steph's legs in their laps; Dana taking the meat out of one sandwich to stuff inside of another, making a double-decker, as Stella looked on, seemingly unimpressed; Juliet and Brooke looking outraged as Kate and Rachel beat them at tennis; Courtney laughing with Alyssa; and one of her favorites: a shot someone else took of Max from the front, eyes covered by Kate's hands, as Steph and Dana each took control of her left and right arms, respectively, trying to steer Max into first place in _Mario Kart_. It didn't work but she did manage to place 8th, way better than she had done on her own.

As she reorganized the photos, she debated which ones to put on her wall, what ones would go in her journal, and whether any of them would get used for Photography. They all deserved a place on her wall, she felt. Every moment, perfect. Every image, bright and happy. She bit her bottom lip in thought, then nodded to herself. None were going to Photography. They were too important to her to risk getting damaged, lost, or worst of all, accepted and kept by Mr. Jefferson as an example of something-or-other to use in future lessons.

Which reminded her, she still had to submit something to the Everyday Heroes contest. She had been procrastinating it for a bit now. The problem she had was, when the contest was first announced, she had no idea who to submit. Sure, there were police officers and other first responders around Arcadia Bay that she could photograph and that would've fit the technical definition just fine, but it wasn't enough for her. She was hunting for something far more personal, something that she felt on a deep, fundamental level. And up until very recently, she had nothing.

Now, though, she was starting to think she had too many. Max looked at the photos in her hands again, at her everyday heroes. Chloe, her blue-haired pirate punk best friend, her first kiss, ready to throw down against anything or anyone that might harm her. Rachel, the one who saved Max from a year of crippling anxiety and self-doubt by re-introducing her to Chloe one fateful afternoon. Kate, her first friend at Blackwell, and someone who had just this morning saved Max from her own head. Dana, sweet, kind, popular, who had helped her Wednesday and had continued to check on Max throughout the week. And, though she didn't have a photo of her yet, Miss Carter, who had rescued her Tuesday and put her on her current path of self-discovery.

Max blinked. Miss Carter, right. She still had her report to write up. Max carefully stacked the party photos together and placed them on her bed. She'd organize a place for all of them in a bit. For now, though, she had to get cracking on that D/S report while she had some free time, which totally wasn't an excuse to get out of thinking about the Everyday Hero contest.

Honest.

36 minutes later, her report was finished. It took a touch longer than the previous ones as she had to consult her notes several times, having forgotten some stuff (a lot had happened between then and now). She also had to go back and edit out a bunch of stuff about ASMR since none of that was actually D/S related, though she kept a bit of it in. She decided to reread it one more time just to make certain everything was spelled correctly:

> Steph Gingrich. Domme. And my newest friend!
> 
> Steph found me at the cafeteria yesterday evening and after we spoke a bit about a bunch of stuff, agreed to help me out, which is really cool of her especially since we didn't know each other that well. But she was super friendly and nice, eager to share her knowledge with me. And now, against all odds, she's my friend, too! Like a nerdy mix between Rachel and Chloe but definitely her own person. Oh, and if I can just say something a bit unrelated, has the most awesome jelly bean bag chairs in existence. I might have to get one for myself later.
> 
> She's also the first person I've interviewed so far that has actually taken D/S classes at Blackwell. Seems a bit weird to think about, that this is a training facility but everyone I've spoken with isn't actively taking any of the D/S courses? Well, except for Warren, I think. But then again, I'm not either, so I can't really say much, though I am seriously considering it for next semester. Steph explained that she chose to come to Blackwell because of it's D/S curriculum as she had a tough time figuring herself out. Even with the classes, she said it took a while, so now she's in the extended program to make up for what she feels is an academic deficit.
> 
> But now she knows exactly what she is: Director. At first, when she told me that she likes to tell subs what to do, I figured she was like Victoria, a Queen, but she explained it isn't the same thing. A Queen can issue non-sexual orders to her subs. A Director (she wasn't sure if it's an official title but it's what she likes to use) is just for the bedroom and can get quite detailed. Like a movie director. The way she spoke, it also reminds me a bit of a photographer telling her model what to do for the next shot. I kinda like the parallels there.
> 
> She also stated that not a lot of subs she's met are into that sort of thing so she sometimes has to hit up a clinic. So far, that makes two people that I've spoken with that have used clinics for their needs. She and Taylor said it so casual, too, like it's an everyday thing. I suppose it is? Again, it makes me wonder how my life would be different now if I had ever used a clinic before returning to Arcadia Bay. Maybe I'd wouldn't be so uptight and ignorant. But I know me: if someone had genuinely suggested I visit one, I'd probably have a complete panic attack and pass out. Not that I'm against sex or anything but at the time, I just couldn't think about it at all. And later, well, there were other issues at play.
> 
> Another thing she told me was that while she was trying to figure out things, Rachel and Chloe, her two best friends (mine, too!), also helped out. Not sexually but rather instructionally. Rachel would give Domme ideas, Chloe would sub for her. I think it's pretty awesome that she has such a strong friendship with them that they could do stuff like that and it not ruin any friendship. In fact, their motto with one another is "no bullshit," (please don't get mad at me for using that word!) as in, they don't keep secrets from each other, they talk things out, even uncomfortable things, and do everything they can to be open with one another. I think that's incredibly admirable and I wish I could have that, too.
> 
> A couple more things I want to add, one related to D/S research, one that isn't.
> 
> First, the thing that isn't. During my interview, I discovered something quite intriguing with Steph: ASMR. It stands for autonomous sensory meridian response but is sometimes shortened to "brain tingles." While Steph was talking to me in her room, there was something about her voice, the modulated quality of it, that caused this odd reaction in me. It had happened before a long time back with a teacher but I never really gave it much thought. But Steph not only feels it, too, she was able to trigger it in me, just by talking. It felt a bit weird but very nice. We spent a bit of time experimenting with it and it was so awesome. Nothing about it was sexual in any way but it was incredibly soothing.
> 
> Now, the thing that is. At some point, I tried looking into what kind of sub I am but, like every previous attempt, I couldn't really find a role that seemed to suit me. So, I tried thinking outside the box and looked up a big list of kinks to try a process of elimination from that angle. The problem I had was kind of odd. Even removing all the kinks that were, quite frankly, disgusting or horrifying (to me! I try not to judge), nothing really seemed to tickle my fancy: bondage; fetish attire, like leather and latex; blindfolds; spanking; roleplay; toys; straight-up "normal" sex. It all seemed kind of meh. But, if I consider myself subbing for a Domme that involves any of these things, then nearly everything seems really enticing.
> 
> (I can feel how red my face is just typing that out!)
> 
> It's like I said at the party: my interests seem both, all over the place and on nothing at all. Is that normal? I tried researching this online but haven't been able to find any answers that make sense. The only hits I get are "you might be asexual if" kinds of articles but I already know I'm not ace. I certainly don't fit the definition. But I may have found something for my sexual identity, which caught me off guard. I want to research it a bit more before I tell you, though, because I'm not completely sure it's a match and I want to be certain.

Max nodded to herself, then saved the document. She printed out the page and added it to her new sub journal, then started composing her letter to Miss Carter. Her previous messages to the guidance counselor were rather short, just a two or three polite sentences with her report attached as a separate file, but this time, Max found herself smiling widely as she typed, her excitement growing as she talked about her surprise birthday party:

> Dear Miss Carter,
> 
> Attached is my report from my interview with Steph but I wanted to tell you about something amazing that happened to me this morning. I already wrote about it in my personal journal but I just can't help myself. I need to share this with someone else. I'm sorry if this is stupid or a waste of your time but I'm just so excited!
> 
> Today's my birthday! And normally, who cares, right? I don't keep track and tend to forget until my parents remind me. And this year was no exception. Completely spaced it. But other people remembered and they threw me a surprise birthday party! It was so wonderful! Nearly everyone on the floor was there except Victoria and Taylor, who were out of town, which is unfortunate because we had so much fun and they would've loved it, I'm sure.
> 
> It was such a great mood booster, too. I won't bore you with the sad details but I had a really bad dream last night that left me really bummed out this morning. But Kate helped take care of me and watched over me after I fell apart. She's such a great friend, so magnificent to put up with me. I don't know what kind of file you have on her but maybe you could put that somewhere in there? ;-) Afterwards, she brought me to the common room where everyone was waiting with balloons, cake, food, decorations, and games. It was incredibly fun!
> 
> But, as fantastic as that was, it's not the best part. And believe me it was so fantastic! Just hanging out with everyone was so much fun. Playing bowling and tennis and _Mario Kart_ on Steph's Wii, I was so bad at it but no one cared. In fact, some others were just as bad, which made me feel pretty good about my lack of skills. But after all the games were done, Rachel announced it was time to give me my present. I told them it was okay, I didn't need anything, but they insisted and, well, who am I to decline a birthday present?
> 
> At first, they said they had considered a birthday spanking (please don't tell anyone, I didn't even write this in my journal, but as scary as that sounded, maybe part of me was curious?) but it was decided they'd be giving me birthday kisses instead. I was so shocked. I mean, literally, my friend Chloe had to calm me down, I started completely freaking out. Who'd want to kiss me, right? I hadn't even had my first kiss yet and suddenly, I was going to get 10? From all these wonderful, beautiful girls??
> 
> It started off with Chloe. My first kiss ever and it was with my oldest and dearest childhood friend. I don't deserve her, I don't deserve any of them, but to get kissed by her, in that moment, it was almost magical. And to think I always thought those romantic moments in movies were crap! And then, one after the other, I got such a lovely kiss. Juliet later said that I approached each kiss differently but perfectly for that person in that moment. I don't know about that but I will say that each kiss was so lovely, so different from one another, yet so equally wonderful.
> 
> I've never been so happy in my life. Even the day I got accepted to Blackwell with a full scholarship pales in comparison to the utter joy I felt during the party. Part of me never wants this day to end. It was like, just for today, I found a perfect role for myself and I adjusted to the energy of everyone around me. Which is so odd to say since I'm pretty much the definition of introvert. But, for once in my life, I felt like I belonged. Weird, right?
> 
> All good things must come to an end, though. I know, really, deep down, I know, that this is temporary and tomorrow, I'll just be normal, boring, non-birthday Max and no one will have a reason to hang out with me like they did today (and, hopefully, will do later since they promised me an ice cream sundae, too) but even now, some small part of me wishes this was my life: surrounded by friends, able to reach out and touch, and hug, and maybe even kiss, all these wonderful people. And that's wrong, isn't it? Just typing that out makes me wonder if my real role is "needy sub" or "touch addict" or "wants the impossible." I shouldn't want this as much as I do because I'll just miss it that much more when it's gone. I'm really going to try my best to curb this feeling later.
> 
> Part of me is amazed I made it to 18 at all. But I'm so glad I did. Today made everything else worth it.
> 
> Max Caulfield  
>  n00b-sub

With a smile still on her face, Max clicked Send, then closed her laptop. There, assignment done. Now, onto something way more important. Standing from her desk, Max took a step back and contemplated her photo wall and each memory contained therein. Her brow furrowed slightly as she considered her latest dilemma: how was she going to reorganize things to include her birthday photos?

 

* * *

 

Bent over the edge of her bed, toes barely touching the carpeted floor, Brooke muffled her cries of pleasure by biting into her blanket. Warren's fingers were working wonders but, much to her dismay, she hadn't been given permission to come yet. And she was right there! So goddamn close! She groaned as she felt his fingers leave her only to gasp as his hand came down on her ass with a loud slap. Left, right, left, right. And then, he was right back to driving her insane.

Oh God, she wasn't sure she could take much more of this. She spat out the blanket and asked, "P-please, Daddy, can I come?"

"I don't know," Warren replied with a smirk. "Can you?"

Through the haze of pleasure and pain, Brooke nearly snorted. Fucking hell, what a-- Coherency left her brain as Warren stroked her just so, making her eyes roll to the back of her head. Then, nothing. Quickly followed by another quick spanking. Then, more pleasure.

So FUCKING close! Brooke held back, though. She was a good girl. She twisted the blanket in a death grip with both hands and sucked in a shuddering breath. "Please, Daddy, _may_ I c-come? Pretty please? Please??"

"Hmm." Warren thought about teasing his Brat a bit longer, but no. Brooke had been thoroughly disciplined for her earlier indiscretion. No reason to keep edging his poor sub. He eased his hand free before lowering himself to his knees, so he was eye-level with her glistening sex. "You may." And with that, he reached forward and, using his hands to keep her thighs in place, savaged her with his tongue, sending Brooke crashing right over the edge. He held on tight as she bucked and kicked and screamed, keeping up the tongue lashing until she went quiet and utterly limp.

Brooke spent the next couple of minutes panting, barely aware of her surroundings, though she did feel when Warren carefully bundled her up and carried her over to her couch. He sat, placing her in his lap, and held her in a loose, one-armed embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder, appreciating that he didn't hold her too close or bundle her too tightly. Right after such a hot session, the last thing she wanted was more body heat. She took several deep breaths to slow her pounding pulse. She licked her lips, cleared her throat, then whispered, "Thank you, Daddy..."

Warren kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome, sweet one."

Tingling with aftershocks, Brooke managed a small smile at the pet name. She swallowed. "Did you want me to...?"

"Not yet," was Warren's gentle reply. "I'm not going to force you to pleasure me so soon afterwards. It'd be too much for you to handle."

Which is true, but still. "I can try, though. Y'know, build up my tolerance and stamina."

Warren shook his head. "No. Just relax. There's always later." He gave her another kiss. "Good girls deserve a break."

"Am I, though?" Brooke asked, curling into him further. "Am I a good girl?"

"Yes, you are." Warren firmed his voice, knowing that Brooke needed validation after being disciplined. "You may be a Brat but you're my Brat. And you'll always be my good little girl."

Brooke nodded and relaxed fully into his embrace. God, this is just what she needed. Mentally, she sent several apologies to Kate, knowing she had taken the Lord's name in vain several times. Loudly. But, dammit, she just couldn't help herself. Warren could be a real beast of a man when he wanted to be.

And speaking of which, Brooke cleared her throat again. "Sorry I was so pushy earlier."

"I forgive you." Warren let out a low chuckle. "Hell, it was probably for the best. You know I'm still fighting all my previous teachings. I needed that push and will probably need others later."

"What I don't get is how anyone could've mistaken you for a Mother when you're clearly such a good Daddy."

He shrugged. "It wasn't so clear before. The way Miss Carter explained it to me, I was likely given the designation by someone who only saw how I behaved post-session and ignored any contrary signs beforehand. I mean, if anyone were to walk in right now and take a peek, they'd only see me holding you close, in a nurturing fashion. Like a Mother."

Brooke considered it, then nodded. "Makes sense. That person's still a dipshit, though."

"No arguments from me," Warren said with a light laugh.

Reaching out with one hand, Brooke traced a finger over Warren's bare chest. "Aren't you cold?"

"How can I be cold with such a hot Korean girl in my lap?"

Brooke jammed her finger into Warren's ribs, smirking when he involuntarily flinched away. "Jerk."

Warren brought a hand up and rubbed his side. "I'm fine. What about you, though?" Brooke was still quite nude, after all, even wrapped in a throw blanket.

"I'm good for now. I might need a shower in a bit, though." She lifted her head and smirked at him. "Care to join me?"

"That might be pushing the dorm rules just a bit," Warren replied with a grin.

"Maybe. But, on a Saturday, who cares?"

"Good point."

They spent another couple of minutes in companionable silence until Warren managed to work up his nerve. He hoped this wasn't about to set Brooke off again. "Okay, I promise I'm only going to ask once and I'll leave it alone: are you sure Max is gay?"

"Pretty damn certain." Brooke shifted until she was straddling Warren. "I was at the party, remember? The way her eyes lit up at the thought of kissing everyone there, her minor meltdown when it was apparent it was going to happen, the way she reacted to me when I kissed her..." Brooke looked Warren dead in the eyes. "Trust me, she's hyper-gay. Like, super-duper, mega-gay. Gayer than Neil Patrick Harris starring in _Naked Boys Singing_. More gay than--"

"I get it, thank you," Warren interrupted with a super-duper, mega-eyeroll. "I just didn't know, okay?"

"If it's any consolation, I doubt she knew, either," Brooke conceded. "Sexual orientation is sometimes pretty clear-cut but sometimes pretty confusing. Surely you can see how someone, girl or guy, can think they're one way all their life because that's how they're expected to act, only to finally encounter something to make them question that assumption later on."

"Kinda like me thinking I was a Mother until I got to Blackwell."

"Yes. And now, you have to rethink everything, even unlearn certain things. It's sometimes tough but better for you in the long run." She shrugged and leaned forward to hold Warren close. "I don't know her all that well but I imagine Max has just as tough a road ahead of her, made tougher by all the questions she's asking about her own sub role, which she still doesn't know. But at least she has a lot of friends to help."

"And does that include you, too?"

Brooke hummed. "Maybe not friends, not like her and Rachel or Kate or some others. But if she asks and needs help from a Brat, sure, I'll help out. Especially now that I know she isn't gunning for you and you won't be gunning for her."

Warren sighed. "I am sorry about that. I really didn't understand just how much it bugged you." Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

"That's 'cause you're a guy and guys are clueless when they're thinking with their dicks." Brooke smirked against Warren's neck, then yelped as he pinched her ass.

"None of that, now, or I might have to punish you some more."

Brooked gulped. It was way, way, too soon for that. "Sorry, Daddy."

"Much better."

Brooke licked her lips. It was confession time. "Really, though, the thought of you being with another girl drives me completely insane with jealousy. I can't help it. I know you and I know you'd love to have a second sub, but I don't think I could take it. I _know_ I couldn't take it." She swallowed again, suddenly scared. "Please don't ask one to join us. I'll beg if that's what you want."

"Shh, shh, none of that." Warren wrapped his arms around Brooke and pulled her close. "No begging. My sweet one doesn't need to do that for Daddy. Ever."

Brooke clutched at Warren. She didn't mean to freak but sometimes, insecurity reared its ugly head and kicked her in the gut. She felt Warren rock her gently and calmed down. "Sorry. I know that sounds manipulative. I'm not, though. I'll be good."

"You already are, sweet one. I promise."

"Okay." Brooke nodded her head and kissed Warren's neck. "Okay," she repeated.

Warren felt Brooke relax once more and mentally nodded. "No other girls, then. Got it."

"Thank you, Daddy."

Time for one last burning question. "But, how would you feel about sharing with a guy instead?"

It took a moment for Brooke to finally comprehend the question but when she did, she jerked backwards to stare incredulously at Warren. "What the fuck?!"

Warren just stayed silent and waited for Brooke to consider his query in full.

"Um." Brooke licked her lips as her brain brought to mind every smutty slash fic she'd read recently. On one hand, oh fuck yes! But still. "Are you even bi?"

"I'm not sure yet," Warren replied with a small shrug. "No harm in finding out, though, right?"

"This isn't a small question, Warren," Brooke replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "We're not talking about getting a haircut or maybe ditching _Planet of the Apes_ for _Short Circuit_. This is me talking about you fucking another guy, reaching down to jerk his cock, maybe pounding him in the ass as he simultaneously pounds me. Are you seriously considering this?"

"Why not? We hunt around, see if there's some good-looking sub who wouldn't mind a threesome, see where it takes us. We stay upfront about things, no strings attached, see if it's pleasurable for all parties involved. If it doesn't go anywhere, no harm, no foul, no hard feelings. If it does..." Warren shrugged again. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Brooke just stared at Warren for several long moments before finally shaking her head. "You're definitely not like the other guys I've spoken to over the years. I bet people like Logan and Zach would go on a rampage for even suggesting they consider being with another guy."

"Eh, a good dicking might calm a few of them down, that's for certain."

Her resulting laugh was bright and loud, making Warren smile wide. He loved making her laugh. "You're probably right," she managed to get out.

Warren waited for Brooke to stop laughing, then reached down to cup her ass with both hands. "Starting next week, I want you to take a look around, see if there's anyone who might fit the bill. Maybe talk to Juliet. You've told me she has a good eye, right?"

"Yes. I've never seen someone with such an eagle eye for details and you're talking to someone who flies a drone everywhere."

"Sweet. If you find anyone, let me know. Or, hell, just go ahead and ask him. You have my permission. See if he's interested, then let me know. We'll work out the details, then."

"Sure thing." Brooke smiled and reached down, firmly cupping Warren through his jeans, causing him to grunt. "You sure you don't want me to take care of you?"

Warren grinned. "How about instead, we hit the showers like you wanted. That way, you can polish me off while you polish me off."

Brooke snickered. "Deal. Let's go, stud."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came a bit faster than some others, partially because I had components of it already finished as short docs saved hither and yon. So a decent chunk was simply copy/pasting them together, then some post-editing to ensure it flowed well.
> 
> The Brooke/Warren scene was me wanting some better closure with the two and to also show my readers that Warren won't be a problem for Max in the future. I mean, it's my story, so I know he wasn't going to be an issue regardless, but me knowing that is much different than you knowing. Plus, I always wanted to have a scene where Warren finally figured out why he never had a shot at Max, though I decided to go about it in a completely different way than most other fics. There will be a short scene in the near future where Warren apologizes to Max for being so blind but otherwise, that's pretty much it, though there may be snippets in the future that may involve Warren, Brooke, and Nathan, someone who is also a Brat on the lookout for a Daddy.
> 
> (This is foreshadowing. ^_^)
> 
> Coming up next-ish: Max and Co. get dinner/dessert, Max interviews Dana, Max gets her final birthday kisses.
> 
> If anyone feels the urge, look me up on <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/> where I post about sporadic updates on the fic, things that inspired me, and sometimes post cut content.
> 
> Oh, here's a random factoid: this fic now has a higher word count than the third Harry Potter book and the first Twilight novel. So, yay?


	28. Ward, Dana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long time in coming but finally, chapter 28 is here! It's a tad long, though, so I hope you don't mind. I originally wanted to get this out for the 4-month anniversary of Worthy's publication date but, sadly, it just wasn't meant to be. Enjoy!

It was close to 6:30 when a soft buzz interrupted Dana from the magazine she was reading. She reached over, careful not to tip over her papasan, and grabbed her phone from the nearby desk. Unlocking it with a swipe of her thumb, she glanced at the screen.

1 unread message. Logan.

The phone shook in her grasp as she gripped it, closing her eyes against the flood of unwanted memories. It took several long moments for her to reign in her anger, grief, and fear, but eventually, she did calm down. When her hands no longer shook, she opened her eyes and calmly swiped the alert from her screen. No need to read it. Ever. She'd delete the message later.

She had just placed the phone facedown on the cushion of the papasan when the phone buzzed again. Irritation boiled up. Snatching her phone up, she flicked her thumb against the screen, determined to block Logan's fucking number if that's what it took.

1 unread message. Amber Waves of Grain.

Dana blinked. Okay. Rachel. Not Logan. She took another deep breath and reigned all of it back in. Back down where it belonged. Later. She'd deal with it later. She released her breath slowly and, once she found her calm again, tapped the alert to bring up the message.

**Amber Waves of Grain**  
We're just about ready to head out. You still in?

Smiling, Dana quickly typed out a reply.

**Me**  
You know it, girl! Wouldn't miss it!

**Amber Waves of Grain**  
Kick ass!

**Me**  
I'll leave that up to your SO. ;-)

With that, Dana carefully stepped out of her papasan chair and shucked her comfy shirt and shorts. In short order, she was dressed once again in her fashionably ripped jeans, dark sneakers, and form-fitting low-cut shirt. A few strokes of her hairbrush and her ponytail was redone. A quick touch up on her lipstick and she was ready to rock.

When she stepped out of her room, small purse in hand, she could hear activity from a few rooms whose doors were open. Rachel had apparently signaled the rest of the troops. Grinning, she decided to get a slight head start on the others and quickly made her way down the hall to Max's room. She wanted to be the first to greet Max for dinner. But when she got there and peeked inside the open door, what she saw made her pause.

There was Max, one knee propped up on the edge of her bed, photo in hand, brow furrowed. She was apparently in deep thought, enough so that she didn't notice Dana's arrival. As she watched, Max raised the photo in her hand and shifted it back and forth slowly, before lowering it once more. She worked her bottom lip a bit, pursed her lips, then gave an inadvertent pout. Dana grinned at the sight. Max was accomplishing something Dana didn't think was humanly possible: make herself even cuter than usual.

The idea came to her to sneak up behind Max and scare the bejeezus out of her, but nah. Not today. Maybe next month, closer to Halloween, but not on Max's birthday. Instead, she reached out and gave Max's door a couple of knocks.

The sound startled Max from her thoughts. She whirled around to face the door and nearly tumbled to the floor as her knee slipped free from the bed. She just managed to catch herself on the mattress with one hand, the other still clutching at her photo. "Dana! Um, hi!"

"Shit, Max, I'm sorry." Dana stepped in the room, her face extremely apologetic. "I really don't mean to keep doing that to you, I swear."

Regaining her balance, Max placed her free hand on her chest and smiled. "I know you don't but wowsers, you definitely have a gift!"

Dana walked right up to Max and leaned forward, giving Max a kiss on the cheek. "Still," she said, straightening. "Forgive me?"

Max blinked. "I..." She swallowed even as she felt her face heat up a bit. "Of... of course I forgive you. I mean, you haven't done anything wrong. Not even close. Um." Was Dana really going to greet her with a kiss every time they spoke?

Was it bad that she liked that thought?

Dana smiled at Max, relieved. She saw Max's slight blush but like normal, didn't bring any attention to it. "I'm glad. So," she continued, turning to the photo wall, "I take it from all your staring that you were trying to figure out where to place your photo?"

"Right!" Max turned as well, happy to move onto something familiar instead of the weird combo of warm fuzzies and slight arousal Dana's kiss had given her. "Um, so, I was reorganizing several older shots after making room for all the birthday party ones but I'm running into a few issues." She lifted the photo in her hand once more. "This one, for example, can actually fall into a few different places in the time wall. I could place it here," she said, hovering the photo over a blank space. "Or here," she continued, shifting the photo to another spot. "Or finally here," she concluded, hovering the photo over another spot. "But nothing seems to stand out to me more than the others and I don't like getting it wrong."

"I see." Actually, Dana couldn't. At a glance, she couldn't make out Max's organizational process for the photos whatsoever, though it was obvious there was one. Max had called it a time wall and not a timeline, meaning that whatever was being used, it certainly wasn't linear like Dana initially suspected. However, she could tell it was very important to Max who had apparently spent a decent chunk of time puzzling it out.

Maybe coming at it from a different angle would help. Dana motioned with her hand. "I notice that there are several other blank spaces on the wall you didn't consider. Are those reserved for future shots?"

Max nodded. "Partially that and partially to give myself room to rearrange photos later when even newer shots need to be added."

There it was. Dana turned and gave Max a smile. "In that case, why not let this one photo slide for now? We're actually getting ready to drag you to dinner and dessert, so there's a good chance you'll be taking even more photos. That means you might wind up having to rearrange things again anyway."

Max blinked up at Dana in confusion. "Dinner? Already?"

"It's past 6:30, actually."

"Really?" Max placed her photo on her desk and grabbed her phone. "Wowsers, you're right. I didn't realize just how much time had flown by."

"How long have you been at this, anyway?"

"Um, maybe an hour." Max chewed her bottom lip and glanced at Dana. "Is that stupid? To waste so much time on a photo wall?"

Dana blinked, stunned at the question. Without saying a word, she reached out and gently pulled Max towards her. She rotated her slightly so that Max's back rested against her front, then wrapped the shy brunette into a hug. Being slightly taller than Max meant she couldn't easily rest her chin on Max's shoulder so instead, she rested her cheek against the back of Max's head.

When she spoke, her voice was soft, gentle. "Was this something you wanted to do? Work on your wall?"

Max cleared her throat. The hug, while unexpected, was rather pleasant. "Um, yes?"

"And is it important to you, to get it right?"

"Yes, definitely."

Dana nodded. "Then it isn't stupid and certainly isn't a waste. Photography is your passion. Never apologize for it."

Max nodded. "Okay." Then, acting on impulse, she brought her hands up to rest them on Dana's arms there they crossed over her chest. "Thanks. I, um, appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Dana replied, briefly tightening the hug, bringing a smile to both their faces.

A couple of knocks drew their attention to the door. Dana loosened her hold on Max as they both turned to see Rachel and Kate standing just inside the threshold of Max's room. Dana raised one hand in greeting. "Hey, you two."

"Hey yourself." Rachel gave the pair a grin. "Ready to head to dinner?"

Dana nodded. "Sure thing. I would've dragged Max out sooner but we got distracted by her new photo wall."

"Oh?" Rachel stepped further inside and saw the changes Max had made. "Oh! Nice job!" She turned and gave Max a friendly nudge. "I like it, how the party is front and center."

"Thanks." Max gave Rachel a smile. "It took a bit longer than I thought because all of the party shots are so good and so important to me. I'm still not done, actually, but Dana pointed out I might take a few more photos later and will have to rearrange things yet again, so there isn't a problem holding off on the rest."

"Smart," Rachel agreed with a nod of her own, then turned to Kate. "I know you've seen the wall before, so whatcha think?"

Kate stepped inside as well and took a good look at the new arrangement. "I think it's wonderful. It's like you managed to capture pure joy in photo form and arranged it in such a way that anyone seeing it would feel the same." She turned to Max and gave her a warm smile. "Simply lovely."

Max blushed at the praise. She looked down and toed the carpet with her sneaker. "Um, thanks."

"Yo!" came a shout from Chloe as she ducked her head inside Max's room. "What's the hold up? Time's a wastin'!"

"Everyone was just getting distracted by Max's photo wall," was Rachel's reply, "but we're about ready to jet. Right?"

"Almost." Max stepped away from the group and grabbed her messenger bag, taking a peek to ensure her camera was still inside. "Okay, now I'm ready."

"Awesome. Let's ride!"

Everyone stepped out of the room and into the hallway. As Max closed her door, she saw Taylor and Courtney round the corner and gave the two a small wave. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Max." Taylor and Courtney stopped. "Headed out for dinner?"

"Yep. Not sure where yet but I'm sure they'll tell me once we get there," Max joked, motioning to the group right behind her.

"Are you two joining us?" asked Rachel.

Taylor shook hear head. "Wish we could, but we already have plans. We're actually meeting Victoria at the parking lot to head to Tillamook. There's a pretty kick ass Thai place there that we love so we tend to visit once a week."

"I think I know which one you're talking about," Rachel said with a nod. "Pretty sure it's the only Thai place that's any good within 50 miles of here."

"That must be it."

Courtney gave her friend a gentle nudge with her elbow. "Go on."

Taylor turned to face Courtney, a puzzled look on her face. "What?"

"Don't you remember?" Courtney asked with a grin. "Max's birthday present?"

"Oh!" Taylor whirled back around and gave Max a huge smile. "Right! Smooches!"

"Um." Max shuffled in place even as she felt her face heat up. On one hand, yay! More kisses! But on the other... "Y-you don't have to, you know. I remember you saying you were straight. Don't feel like you have to force yourself or anything."

"Straight- _ish_ ," Taylor corrected with a grin. "I distinctly remember telling you that I do admire the female form." Once again, she motioned towards her body with both hands, this time, waggling her eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah, girl. Work it!" Chloe's exaggerated grunting noises were interrupted by the swift application of Rachel's hand to the back of her head. "Hey!"

Taylor snickered, as did most everyone else, then turned back to Max. "So, yeah, maybe no tongue, but I'd be delighted to give you a kiss."

"O-okay." Max gave Taylor a small smile as she stepped close. When Taylor raised her hands and gently placed them on Max's shoulders, that smile was swept away by a wave of anticipation. Max licked her lips and briefly wondered how Taylor's kiss would compare to all the others she received today before the blonde leaned forward.

Soft. Warm. Delicate. Taylor tasted of strawberries and felt lovely. When she broke the kiss, she drifted over Max's cheek, leaving a light trail of kisses as she went. She ended by nuzzling Max's neck right below her ear, causing the brunette's breath to hitch.

Taylor leaned back and gave Max a grin. "How was that?" Her grin widened considerably when Max failed to answer, instead blinking rapidly, as if waking from a dream. She couldn't help it: she giggled. "Wow, Max. Keep reacting like that and you'll give me a big head."

"You should've seen her at the party," Dana replied with a smile. "She reacted so strongly that all of us felt like goddesses of love."

"Nice," Taylor said with a nod. She turned to Courtney. "But, I think we kept Victoria waiting long enough, dontcha think?"

"Most likely, though when you tell her why, she'll likely understand."

"Or get ragingly jealous." Taylor reached out and gave Max a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Happy birthday."

"T-thanks." Max gave Taylor a friendly smile. "Enjoy dinner."

"Will do. Later."

As Max watched the two girls leave, she reached up with one hand and brushed the side of her neck with her fingertips. "Wowsers." She turned back to the group at large and swallowed. "Are necks supposed to be that sensitive?"

"They can be," Rachel replied. "It depends on the individual but the neck is a major erogenous zone." She then giggled when Chloe hugged her from behind and nuzzled the side of her neck.

Steph smirked. "They can also be very ticklish, as the two love birds are clearly demonstrating."

Max smiled. For some reason, it made her ridiculously happy to see Chloe and Rachel being playful and goofing around like this. "Gotcha."

A hand on her shoulder brought her attention to Kate, who smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, definitely," Max agreed with a nod.

 

* * *

 

Dinner wound up being a smaller affair than lunch. Some, like Juliet and Brooke, had dates that evening, while others, like Alyssa and the Vortexers, had previous dinner plans. That left Dana, Kate, Rachel, Chloe, and Steph to treat Max to a fun dinner and dessert.

Everyone wound up splitting up into two groups since neither Rachel's Civic nor Chloe's truck were large enough to fit everyone. After a short debate, Max and Kate had piled into Chloe's truck for the initial leg of the trip with promises that they'd swap out and ride with Rachel back to Blackwell. No one, it seemed, wanted to be separated from the birthday girl for very long, something that made Max feel so loved and appreciated. Too bad it wouldn't last forever but Max was determined to enjoy it as long as it lasted. She could only hope she wouldn't miss it too terribly much come tomorrow.

When both vehicles pulled into the Two Whales parking lot, Max was attacked by the warm fuzzies. No, it wasn't a super fancy restaurant or anything but Max didn't need stuff like that, anyway. Hanging out with her friends at her favorite diner was a perfect way to end the day. And when the group stepped inside and Max saw how the rear booth had been taped over with a large banner that read "Reserved for the Birthday Girl," well, Max couldn't help it. She started crying again.

Joyce had been the loving Southern woman she always was, charm ramped up to 11. After giving Max a great big hug, she told the birthday girl to order anything she wanted, it was all taken care of. "But be sure to leave plenty of room for dessert. I have what Chloe called 'Mount St. Ice Cream' in the freezer just a waitin' for you." Max grinned as she wiped her tears away. It was absolutely great!

Everyone had piled into the booth, a spare chair pulled up on the end for Chloe (she had the longest legs and needed the space). It was a bit snug on one side but not a single person complained. Conversation was light and fun, accompanied by whatever tunes Chloe found on the jukebox. She wound up dumping in a whole roll of quarters in the machine before the night was through. They chatted, they ate, they sang along with the jukebox, they groaned as Chloe's prank selections came on. Seriously, only she would select Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat" four times in a row and think it was hilarious. It took the threat of Joyce unplugging the machine and wasting all those quarters to finally get Chloe to quit.

When the sundae finally came out from the kitchen, Max gasped. It was huge!! Definitely not a normal Two Whales menu item. Even with six spoons and six eaters, there was no way they were going to finish the whole thing. Chloe had explained that when she and Rachel came to the diner earlier to make the dinner arrangements, Joyce actually came up with the idea to make a custom sundae so long as Chloe and Rachel went out and bought the supplies from a nearby grocery store. The diner only carried vanilla, after all. The two had agreed but on the condition that Joyce made the hugest, most ludicrous sundae possible. It was a concession she had happily agreed with, "Just this once."

Almost an hour and a half later and the group finally left the diner, Chloe groaning. She had attempted, against all common sense and good advice, to finish the sundae and was feeling the regret. Steph opted to be the one to ride with Chloe but urged everyone else to leave in Rachel's car. "It might take us a bit to get back," she explained. "I don't know how to drive a stick and Chloe's not feeling up to doing anything just yet. We'll catch up."

Dana tsked. "I know it's been a while since we'd hung out but, damn, girl."

"I know, I know…" Chloe slumped against the side of her truck, one hand on her stomach. "If I ever try something that fucking stupid again, please, shoot me."

"You gonna be okay?" Max asked, a concerned expression on her face.

Chloe lifted her head and gave Max a half-smile, half-grimace. "You know it, Maximus. Just need a minute or twelve." She reached out with her other hand and ruffled Max's hair, which she accepted with an amused huff. "You head back and I'll bug you later."

"If you say so." Max then reached forward and gave Chloe a very gentle hug, then gave Steph a much stronger one. "Thanks for dinner guys. It was a ton of fun."

"Glad you liked it, Max." Steph gave Max one final squeeze then let go. "Now, go on. We'll see you soon."

The trip back was uneventful but still fun, as Dana and Rachel told some pretty funny stories of some of the previous years' Theater mishaps and misadventures. When Kate asked, Dana had explained that she opted not to do Theater this year since she was on both, the cheerleading squad and the swim team, and didn't think she could devote the necessary time to do a good job. "But, I really miss it. More than I thought I would. I mean, I love what I'm doing now and it's a ton of fun, too, but I still find myself wondering what this semester would be like if I was working on a play instead of cheer routines. I know Juliet misses it, too."

"We'd love to have both of you back," Rachel replied. "And I know Mr. Keaton would love to take you both back on." She snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her. "I gotta ask, though: what do you think of _Grease_?" she asked with a wide grin.

Max and Rachel then spent the next ten minutes regaling Dana with every single idea and mental image of various Theater people, old and new, in various _Grease_ roles, with Kate mentioning a few from their lunch conversation on Friday. Dana found all of it funny as hell and, when they stepped out into the Blackwell parking lot, demonstrated she could tackle any role in the musical by putting on a brief dance routine, something which delighted Rachel to no end. The group even found themselves singing "You're the One That I Want" as they made their way back to the dorm.

After Max had taken care of business in the restroom, she went back to her room and changed into sleep attire. Before she left, she took out the pictures she had taken at the diner. She fanned them out on her bed and smiled, glad she took Dana's advice about waiting since she now had to make a few rearrangements on her photo wall for all the new shots. She didn't mind one bit, though, not when the pictures were so good and the memories therein so phenomenal. She start on the wall later.

Taking hold of her D/S notebook, folder, and a pen, Max left her room and made her way to Dana's. Like normal, the door was wide open, allowing Max to peek inside and see that Dana had also changed into comfy clothes. She was seated at her modest vanity, removing her makeup with a wipe.

Max reached up and gave Dana's door a couple of knocks. "Hey, Dana."

"Hey, yourself," Dana said with a smile, though she didn't look away from her reflection. "Make yourself at home. I'm almost done."

"Okay." Max stepped inside and took a seat on Dana's couch. She took a moment to look around the room, having never been inside before. Several different band posters lined the walls as well as a few rom com movie posters. A framed photo of last year's swim team, the Otters, seemed to hold a prominent place on a wall while a photo of last year's cheerleading team was a placed to the right and below the Otter one. A smaller version of a Bigfoots banner hung over the window.

Max smiled. The whole room was very Dana. "Where's your cheerleader uniform?"

"At the dry cleaners." Dana was leaning forward and carefully examining her face, looking for any makeup residue. "The last field we were on was a bit more muddy than we anticipated and a few of us wiped out." She turned around and grinned. "Turns out that material doesn't like standard washing machines so they have to go to the pros."

"Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?"

"Nah. Our pride took more of a beating than we did. But, hey, we still won!"

"Good to hear. About the victory and the not getting injured part."

Dana rose from her chair and stepped forward but stopped before reaching the couch. "You haven't taken off your makeup yet?"

"No, not yet," Max replied with a shake of her head. "I'll get to it later."

"One sec." Dana walked back to her vanity and grabbed both her wipes and a small trash can. She then came and sat next to Max on the couch, placing the trash can nearby. "Let me take care of that for you." When she saw Max hesitate, she continued. "I'll be really gentle. And these wipes are awesome. Think of this like my portion of a birthday present for you."

Max nodded. "Okay. Should I do anything, or...?"

Dana opened the resealable pouch and took hold of a wipe. "No need. Just close your eyes and relax. I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay." Max closed her eyes and sensed Dana lean in. She felt her chin being held gently, followed by the cool sensation of the wipe as Dana got to work.

The whole process didn't take long at all due in large part to the overall lack of makeup Max used, something that Dana commented on. "I never could get the hang of most makeup," Max explained, eyes still closed, "so I wound up sticking to what I could do, which was eye liner and eye shadow. Foundation always made me itch, I'd constantly mess up mascara, and lipstick and blush made me look like a clown at the circus." Max opened her eyes when she felt Dana pull away. "That's why I always admire people like you and Rachel and Victoria, who can do their makeup so well and make it look so effortless. I know it's a lot of hard work but you always look so incredibly beautiful."

Dana dropped the used wipe in the trash can and gave Max a bright smile. "You certainly have a way with words."

Max blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You're so openly honest," Dana explained. "So, whenever you say things like that, I know it's genuine. You're not just flattering me to try and get in my pants." Dana leaned forward and gave Max a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

Cue the blush. "Um... I-- Uh, that's... I mean--"

Dana quieted Max's stammers by placing a hand on her knee. "Hey, it's okay. I just wanted to let you know, that's all." A terrible thought occurred to her at that moment and she swallowed, suddenly nervous. "But, please, let me know if I'm annoying you or bothering you with the hugs and kisses. I really don't mean to make you uncomfortable. If you want me to stop, I will."

"No!" Max's eyes widened at her own volume and cleared her throat. "I mean, no. Please, don't stop. If you don't want to, I mean. Um." Max stared at her lap and fiddled with her hands. "I just... I'm not used to being touched so much. Even with Rachel and Chloe, who are so affectionate, physically, it still catches me off-guard at times. But." She glanced up at Dana but couldn't maintain eye contact. She turned away. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable. I like it. A lot." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Maybe more than a lot."

Dana felt her heart ache at Max's words. So unused to being touched, so nervous about admitting she likes it. Something occurred to her, something she had read while studying massage techniques. She wondered if that was the case here. Maybe, maybe not. But, speaking of massage...

She reached forward but instead of taking Max's hand immediately, she offered it, palm up, as an invitation. A moment later, Max looked up and, seeing Dana's friendly and open smile, relaxed a bit and took hold of the hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "It's perfectly okay to admit that you like it. I'm glad it doesn't make you uncomfortable. I know I was being a bit forward with all of it."

"Never uncomfortable. Just surprising." Max shrugged. "I'm still working on my comfort levels with all of it, too. Like, I noticed it feels different when Chloe touches me versus Rachel versus Kate versus Steph versus you." Max blinked. "Wowsers. I just realized that's a lot of people. Um." She worried her bottom lip. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"

"To have a lot of friends? To hold their hands, to get hugs and kisses from them? Absolutely not." Dana grinned. "You should've seen me and Juliet just a couple years back. I don't think there was a day that went by that we didn't walk to class hand-in-hand."

"Really?"

"Really. It was so normal for us. We weren't dating or anything, we were just super close. Holding hands, hugs, doing each other's makeup, that sort of thing. Although," Dana leaned in real close and whispered, "don't share this with anyone but we may have experimented a bit." Dana raised a finger to her lips. "Shh."

"I'll never tell," Max whispered back. "I'm just surprised you'd tell me."

"I trust you. It didn't last too long and never evolved beyond experimentation. Just us trying to figure out what kind of Domme and sub we were without involving people we didn't know or trust. Plus, I think it's good for you to know that there are many levels of intimacy. And that you can have different levels of intimacy with different people. Just like you mentioned that things feel different when Chloe touches you versus Kate and all the others. I think part of it is varying levels of intimacy. But also know that intimacy doesn't mean sex. In fact, the word 'intimacy' means 'close familiarity or friendship.' It's society that decided that word was just another euphemism for sex."

"That's..." Max blinked. "I never thought about that before. So, it's okay to be touchy with one friend and not another?"

"Definitely. Like, for example, can you imagine Kate touching you as often as Rachel or Chloe?"

"No, not at all. And if she started to, I'd wonder if something was wrong."

"Exactly. You have a certain expectation with Kate just like you have one with Chloe and Rachel. That's not to say that level couldn't change over time. That's between you and them and everyone's comfort level. But as long as everyone's on the same page, it's all good."

"Gotcha." Max shifted slightly in her seat and brushed against her folder. Her eyes widened. "Crap!" She reached down and grabbed her notebook and flipped to the next blank page. "Um, I really should've have been writing all this down because it's really good info. Is that okay? Not about the, um," Max lowered her voice to a whisper, "you and Juliet thing." She raised her voice back to normal levels. "But the levels of intimacy part."

"Go right ahead." Dana sat back as she watched Max furiously scribble down several notes. "So, this is the special project I've heard rumors about?"

"Yeah." Max paused, then underlined a phrase and drew an arrow back towards something else. "Miss Carter gave me this assignment for a few different reasons but mainly, to get as much exposure to the Domme/sub lifestyle as possible so I can better understand my own sub nature. Which I still don't know."

"I remember you saying that at the party. But you also said it's been helping you, too, right?"

"Absolutely. Miss Carter said talking to my peers like this, in a one-on-one setting, would benefit me more than taking a class or listening to lectures. And I really think she was right. Maybe if I had gotten more exposure to stuff like this when I was younger, the idea of going to a D/S class wouldn't freak me out so much, but I was... Um. Too shy to handle it before." Max finished writing a sentence and looked up. "I'm seriously considering taking a class next semester, though, now that it isn't so scary."

"If you do, let me know. I might be able to tutor you since I've taken a few sub courses during my time here at Blackwell."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. So, what can I do to help?"

"You already are." Max smiled. "You telling me about differing levels of intimacy is something I've never considered before and will come in handy should I ever figure out my sub role. And even if I don't, at least I'll know it's okay to feel differently about intimacy with different people."

"Okay."

"But, can I still ask you questions?"

"Of course! That's why I'm here. Well," Dana shrugged, "one of many reasons. I'm actually glad we're getting a chance to hang out, just the two of us."

"Same here. I mean, I remember you giving me an open invitation to come on in whenever your door was open but I was always too nervous to try."

"How come?"

"Because, um." Shit. This was going to sound stupid as hell. "You're so pretty and busy and popular. I always thought you'd have more important things to do. And maybe hanging out with my lame self would drag you down, ruin your rep. Or something. Um." Max started shrinking into herself, worried that now that she brought attention to all the reasons she didn't hang out before, Dana would realize that Max was right and they shouldn't be hanging out at all. The hug, therefore, was a surprise.

"God, Max, I'm sorry I made you feel that way," Dana stated, regret in her voice.

Max shook her head. "No, no, you never did. It's just something I always think. You, Rachel, Kate, Chloe, everyone. I have a really hard time approaching anyone because I always feel like I'm bothering them or annoying them. It's stupid, I know, and I've been trying to get better but it never goes away."

Dana gave Max a squeeze then let go, but didn't back away. "You know I want you here, right? And you're not a bother?"

"Yes," Max said with a nod. "It just takes me time, sometimes, for it to really sink in."

"Good." Dana reached up and brushed a thumb against Max's cheek. "Then I'll do my best to make sure you always, always, know it. And if it takes a lot of kisses to do so, well..." Dana leaned forward and gave Max another kiss on the cheek. She sat back and grinned. "That's a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make."

"I..." Max felt her cheeks heat up again. She was never going to get used to that. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome." Dana reached out and tapped Max's notebook. "So, what else would you like to know?"

"Oh! Um." Max grabbed her notebook and pen and got ready to write. "You said you were a sub?"

"Hmm." Dana lowered her voice a smidgen. "For your notes, put me down as a sub but I'm pretty sure I'm a switch."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have some strong Domme urges every now and then but it's pretty easy for me to ignore them thanks to the nature of my role."

Max wrote down the word "sub" in her notebook. "And what is your role?"

"I'm a Service Domme/sub. Meaning, it's my nature to do things for others. Whether I'm feeling like a Domme or a sub that particular day, I'm completely geared up to helping others and offering my services to them. But not like a Servant."

Max paused in her writing. "Can you elaborate on that a bit? They sound like the same thing."

"Sure. Actually, one sec." Dana slid from the couch and shuffled close to Max on the floor. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Max replied without hesitation.

"Cool." Dana repositioned herself so she was seated cross-legged right in front of Max. She eased Max's feet into her lap and gently removed Max's socks. Then, to Max's surprise, started giving her a foot massage. "It's a pretty thin line between a Service sub and a Servant but the way I like to differentiate it is, I don't want to be told what to do. I simply want to do it. So long as it's not intrusive or unwanted, I like to volunteer my services to others."

Max groaned and slumped backwards in the couch. "Dog, that feels so damn good."

Dana grinned. She loved it when people reacted this strongly to her touch. "If we were living together, I'd maybe cook you breakfast or fix you a cup of coffee without you having to ask for it. And other domestic stuff like that. It gives me such a sense of fulfillment to do things for others. As long as I feel appreciated and not taken advantage of, I'll always do little things like this. I still give Juliet back rubs to this day, for example."

"How did--" Max's voice hitched as Dana pressed her thumbs into her heel, working out a knot of tension she didn't know existed. "Hnnnnnngggssssssss…"

"What was that?" Dana rotated Max's foot clockwise, then counter-clockwise. "I don't think that was English."

"It wasn't." Max groaned again. "How did you get so good at this?"

"Trial and error, mostly. I read a lot of books on massage techniques, watch instructional videos online. I own several books on it, too." She tugged on each of Max's toes, one at a time. "I'm lucky that Juliet lets me practice on her but, of course, everyone is different, so I have to adjust as I go until I get a good feel for the next person's preferences."

Max stayed on her back as Dana switched to her other foot. "I'm surprised this isn't ticklish." She let out a long breath as Dana worked out another knot of tension.

"That's a common concern from some people but the trick is firm pressure. If I went too light, then it'd tickle and cause you to tense up. The completely opposite of what I'm gunning for. I just want you to relax and be comfortable."

Max let out a half-snort in amusement. "No problems with that. At this rate, I'm going to turn into a puddle of ooze."

"Good," Dana said with a smile. "That means I must be doing something right." Dana spent the next couple of minutes working Max's left foot, then finished up by gently placing Max's socks back on her feet. She gave them a soft pat. "If you're ever feeling tense or sore, stop by and I'll do everything I can to help."

"I will."

"Will you, though?" Dana reached out and placed a gentle hand on Max's knee. "Will you stop by, knowing you're not a bother, knowing you're important to me?"

Max braced her hands against the couch and hoisted herself upright. She looked at Dana, seated on the floor, and saw the concern on her face. Max bit her bottom lip. "Um, it might take some time for me to get it," she admitted reluctantly. "I'm not used to thinking myself as important or anything but irritating."

That's what Dana was afraid of. After a moment's thought, she had a brainstorm. "Hold on. I have an idea."

Max watched, curious, as Dana rose from the floor and walked over to her vanity. She opened one of the drawers and rooted around a bit. Finding what she was looking for, she closed the drawer and came back. "Here," she said, handing Max a small bottle.

Max looked down and saw it was a bottle of nail polish. She blinked in confusion. "What's this for?"

"I'm loaning this to you. I want you to take it and keep it in your bag." Dana retook her seat next to Max. "If you want to try it out, go right ahead. I certainly don't mind. But, you don't have to. The important thing is, whenever you're walking past my door, stop on in. You won't be bothering me one bit because you'll be returning something I loaned you. Afterwards, I'll loan you a different color. You'll borrow that for a while until you walk past my door again." Dana smiled. "I'll keep loaning you stuff until you're comfortable visiting me without it."

"I..." Max swallowed past the lump in that had suddenly formed in her throat. Dog, Dana was being so damn sweet. And to her of all people! "Thank you. For helping. For understanding. Um." She cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you," she repeated.

Dana gave her a gentle smile as she handed her a tissue from the box on her coffee table. "You're welcome." She waited for Max to dry her tears and compose herself. "I don't mean to keep distracting you from your questions. I guess I'm not that much help after all."

"You've been such a huge help already," Max argued. "You make me feel safe and welcome. You gave me such a wonderful massage without any prompting. You've helped me understand that intimacy doesn't mean sex and that it's okay to touch and hug and even kiss." Max dropped the tissue in the trash can and leaned forward, wrapping Dana in a hug. "I'll ask more in a minute. But first, let me thank you properly."

Dana knew that Max never really initiated physical contact so her hug was completely unexpected. She reacted quickly enough, though, and held Max close. "See? You're a pro at this hugging stuff already."

Max snorted out a laugh. "I really doubt that, but thanks." She slowly separated. "I'm just not, um, brave enough to start a hug. Usually."

"I don't think it's a matter of being brave, just whether you're comfortable. It's okay to not be. Don't force yourself to initiate hugs until you're ready. Change takes time, after all." Dana sat back. "But, there is something I think you might want to look up later, for your notes."

"Okay." Max grabbed her pen and got ready.

"'Touch-starved.' It's something I ran into several times while researching massage techniques. In brief, touch is extremely important to us, as people, but in general, we don't do it enough. At least here in the States. I have a feeling this might be the case with you." Dana raised her hands. "That's not a blame thing, though, and is totally not your fault. It's just the way things are. But, I've read that being touch-starved can intensify feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and even depression."

Max finished writing and looked up. "Even without looking it up, that hits pretty close to home." She shifted and fiddled with her pen. "Let's say that that's me. Is there something I can do about it?"

"Yes." Dana smiled and reached out a hand, which Max took. "Things like this. Being close to someone you trust, reaching out and touching them. Holding hands. Long hugs. Or, lots of shorter ones. Snuggling up together, maybe while reading or watching TV or something like that. Intimacy." She gave Max's hand a gentle squeeze and smiled when it was reciprocated. "This isn't a miracle cure or anything, sadly. But, it can help."

A short minute later found Max curled up against Dana, back to her front, as Dana leaned against a pile of pillows and cushions that were braced against the arm of the couch. It was an experiment Dana came up with to see if being this close would interfere with concentration and actually completing an assignment. Max grinned as she settled in. This certainly wasn't the best reflection of the scientific method but who cares?

"I won't put this in the report because you asked me not to," Max began, "but why did you want me to list you as a sub when you're actually a switch?"

"Because it's just easier for me to deal with. When I was younger and explained what I was, everyone kept bugging me to 'pick a side,' or made jokes about me not being a real Domme because of my Service nature. I got tired of it. So, I don't bother explaining it anymore." Dana shrugged. "If I ever find someone, Dom or sub, I'll explain it then."

Max jotted something down. "But, Chloe's a switch and I've never heard her say anything about stuff like that."

Dana snorted in amusement. "That's because she's a lot tougher than me and much scarier looking. Seriously, can you imagine what would happen if someone got in her face and told her to pick a side and stop pretending?"

Max considered the question briefly. "She'd either deck them or kick them in the balls, depending on the gender."

"Exactly. In fact, that might be why she got expelled from Blackwell."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm," Dana responded with a nod. "I don't know the exact details but I do know that she was kicked out for fighting. I always thought she was defending Rachel's honor or something but there were other rumors. Never could get the full scoop from Rachel, though, and, well, I didn't want to find out if Chloe would deck me for asking."

Max turned her head as much as possible. "She wouldn't!" she said, scandalized at the thought.

"No, not now, but back then, she was a lot angrier. Shorter temper and way easier to set off. At least we were friendly to one another. I think Juliet and I were the only Vortexers who were." Dana gave Max's shoulders a small squeeze. "I wasn't brave enough to chance it."

Max nodded and turned back to her notebook. She bit her lip as she thought about Chloe back then. Angrier. At least she had Rachel. Because Max herself had utterly flaked out at being a friend.

A soft tap on her shoulder roused Max from her thoughts. "You okay, there?"

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." Max cleared her throat and pressed on. "What's your sexual orientation?"

"I like to label myself as 'hetero-flexible.'"

"Gotcha." Max wrote that down, then paused. "Wait, what's that actually mean?"

"It means mostly straight but if a specific type of girl were to come by, I'd definitely throw down."

Max snickered at the phrasing. "And what type of girl is that?"

Cute, freckled, brunette hipsters who love photography. That's what Dana desperately wanted to say but it was way too soon. If she said that now, with Max here in her arms, she'd likely freak out and run away. Dana couldn't do that to her. And, honestly, she doubted she could handle that level of rejection. She just wasn't that brave. So instead, she grinned and said, "That's a secret."

Max huffed out a laugh. "In that case, maybe I'll ask Juliet."

Dana wrapped her arms around Max as if to keep her in place. "Don't you dare!"

"I'm kidding! I'd never do that to you." Max shuffled back a bit and smiled as Dana loosened her hold but remained hugging her. "I'd never betray your trust like that."

"Good to know," Dana said with a nod. "Promise I'll tell you later. I'm just not ready to reveal that part of me yet."

"I understand completely."

Dana nuzzled the back of Max's head. "What else?"

"Hmm." Max tapped her pen against the notebook as she thought back. "You said that when you found someone, you'd explain you were a switch then, right?"

"Right."

"What about you and Logan, then? Have you explained it to him?"

Dana went deathly still. It was so unexpected, so unlike her, that Max was immediately worried. She turned in her seat, trying not to bump and nudge Dana too much, and was about to ask what was wrong when she saw Dana had squeezed her eyes shut. She was in such obvious pain it broke Max's heart. "I'm sorry, Dana. Whatever I did, I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault," Dana said with a shake of her head, eyes still closed. "You didn't know. Just. Bad memories."

Max really didn't know what to do and she was worried she had completely fucked up. "Did you want me to leave?"

Blindly, Dana reached out a hand which Max took. She squeezed hard. "Please don't. Stay. With me. Just for a minute."

"Of course."

It was longer than a minute but Max didn't care. Dana was hurting. She'd do anything to help even if that meant just sitting there, holding her hand. Whatever it took, Max would be there for her.

Eventually, Dana took a deep, shuddering breath. And again. She blinked her eyes open and wiped at her cheeks. "Sorry," she whispered. "Didn't mean to fall apart on you."

Max twisted in her seat and reached out to grab a tissue. "Don't apologize," she said as she handed Dana the tissue, who took with with a grateful nod. "I mean, didn't you tell me before that sometimes, things just suddenly overflow and you can't help but cry?"

Dana let out a wet chuckle as she wiped her face dry. "I certainly did, didn't I?"

"You don't have to explain anything if you don't want to. But I'm here for you. Whatever you need. Someone to hug, someone to hold. Someone to just be quiet with. Anything."

"Thanks, Max." Dana sniffed. "You're a sweetheart."

The two sat together on the couch, Dana eventually using soft touches to get Max to turn back around so she could hug her from behind. She held Max close and took another deep breath. "Logan and I… we broke up last Saturday." Then, she snorted. "No, that's bullshit. I dumped his ass Saturday. Because of what he did."

Max stayed quiet. She felt like this wasn't something she should interrupt with inane questions. Dana would tell her at her own pace.

A minute later, Dana continued. "Last Friday, we had a home game. We won in overtime. It was a tough fight so winning felt so awesome. Logan was pumped, I was pumped, we were all riding the high of victory. So, after the game, a bunch of us partied. Like you'd expect. And like you'd expect, Logan and I went off to his room to celebrate a bit more.

"We were both a bit drunk by then and weren't thinking too straight. He broke out the ropes and proceeded to tie me up." Dana shifted a bit. "Um, I hope that doesn't freak you out, that I'm into bondage."

"No, of course not."

"Okay. Good." Dana cleared her throat. "I'll, um, tell you more about that part of me later. Might be good for your report. But, yeah, he tied me up, like usual, and we started getting frisky. But, like I said, we were both a bit drunk and I didn't notice until part way through that he did some of the knots wrong and it was starting to hurt. So, I safeworded." She swallowed. "He… he didn't stop. Instead, he gagged me, with his hand, so I couldn't speak. He'd never done that before and it freaked me out. I wanted out. Right then. But, I was still tied up. I couldn't even beg.

"Fortunately, he has piss-poor stamina even on a good day and finished pretty quick. He collapsed on top of me, thanked me. I was able to ask him to let me loose. I was really scared he wouldn't bother before he fell asleep but he did. And as soon as I was free, I was out of there. Just threw on my uniform, grabbed my shoes, and left.

"I got lucky. The knots didn't damage any nerves or anything. All I got were a few bruises and some soreness that lasted the next day. But I was still freaked out. And when he texted me Saturday, asking to hang out, I told him we were through. Because I safeworded and he ignored it. He blamed it on the booze, said I was drunk and safeworded too soon. I called him a fucker and been ignoring him since."

Dana fell silent. Max swallowed, able to feel the occasional tremor in Dana's arms. "Fuck, Dana. I'm so, so, sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you," whispered with a small nod. "I am, too."

"Is there anything you can do? Like, I dunno, press charges or something?"

"Not officially, not for something like that. It's a he said/she said thing. Everyone knows we've been hooking up for a few weeks by that point so it's not like it was surprising we shacked up then. Even if he admitted to ignoring a safeword, though, that's not a crime. No real injuries, nothing serious. Just a lack of common sense, a couple of kids playing around and things got a bit rough. An accident. Not even Blackwell can do anything about it. The only real crime here was our underage drinking and if word of that spread, he might get kicked from the team, though not likely, and I might get expelled, because that's what happens. So, yeah, no recourse other than ignoring him and going on with my life."

"Have you told this to Juliet? Maybe she could do something?"

"She would. That's the problem. Jules is a great friend and couldn't help but to something about it, in her own way. But everything she could do would eventually just backfire against me. Get me ostracized from the squad, probably the Vortex Club, maybe even the Otters." She shrugged. "I've already considered leaving the squad, though. As much as I like being a cheerleader, it's hard to always see him and it makes Friday nights incredibly awkward. But, it's a bit too late this semester. I'll likely drop it next semester, though, since the football season is over by then. I'm not ranked high enough to really be missed so there shouldn't be any issues about me not being available to train next season's squad."

Max really hoped this would go over okay. "Maybe then you can rejoin the Theater club? Help make Rachel's _Grease_ dreams a reality."

Dana blinked at the callback joke, then chuckled. "Maybe I will. Like I said earlier, I do miss it."

Max reached up and placed her hands on Dana's arms where they wrapped around her chest. "I wish I could do more for you."

"You're doing plenty, Max. You being here, you listening, you not calling me a coward, it all means so much."

"Of course you're not a coward. You have every right to be scared."

"I'm so tired of being scared, though. Every time he texts me, because he still does, I remember what happened. I try to get pissed instead but it never works."

"That's because you're a good person. It's against your nature to be angry. He not only betrayed your trust but he betrayed your Service nature, too. Something you were doing for him, being nice, something you enjoyed, too, and he took advantage of that.  And then had the massive brass balls to blame you for it. Fuck. Him." Max unconsciously tightened her grip on Dana's arms. It was rare that she got pissed off but the thought of Dana being hurt by that muscle-bound shithead was enough to make her blood boil.

Weirdly enough, Dana found herself feeling better, hearing the vitriol from Max. In fact, she found herself smiling. "'Massive brass balls?'"

"Oh. Um." Max squirmed. "It was something Victoria said to me when I interviewed her. It seemed appropriate?"

"It was." Dana gave Max a tight squeeze. "Thank you," she repeated.

Max nodded. "You're welcome. Just know that if I had the ability, I'd kick him right in the balls for what he did. Then, kick him some more."

"I really appreciate the sentiment. I wish I had the ability to kick him in the balls, too."

"Maybe we can call Chloe," Max said with a smirk. "I'm sure she'd relish the opportunity to kick him in the balls."

"Pretty sure she already did." At Max's questioning hum, Dana continued. "Logan's the one she kicked the shit out of when she got expelled."

"Really?" Max twisted a bit in Dana's arms. "She took him on? And won!?"

"Oh yeah." Dana grinned despite herself. "He got so much shit for it the rest of the year. Maybe now you can understand why I didn't want to risk asking her what happened. If she could take on a football player and win, what chance did my scrawny little ass have against her?"

"Wowsers."

Dana snickered. "Wowsers, indeed."

There was a flicker of movement from her doorway. Dana's eye narrowed a moment, then relaxed. She knew precisely who it was and what happened. So, as much as she didn't want to, she was going to have to cut this interview short. She tapped Max on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm super sorry but I just remembered Jules was stopping by in the evening to chat."

"And I need to leave," Max said with a grin. "No problem."

Dana's face was extremely apologetic. "I really don't want you to go, though. Please know that."

"I do." Max scooted forward and turned. "You've been so awesome and so wonderful. I'm just sorry I've never been brave enough to hang out with you before."

They both stood from the couch. "Don't be sorry, Max. You just weren't ready yet, that's all. But, feel free to stop in anytime to return the nail polish. I'll always make time for you."

"I will. Thanks so much."

As Max gathered her things, a thought popped in her head. She wondered if she'd be brave enough, then decided yes, she was definitely going to do this. Even if it took a moment for her to gather her courage. "Hey, um, Dana? Can I give you something?"

"Sure." Dana tilted her head to one side, curious, as Max shuffled a half step closer. "What?"

"Um." Max steeled her shoulders and took a deep breath. "This." Max leaned forward and gave Dana a kiss on the cheek. She lingered there a moment before slowly backing away. "Your kisses always make me feel better no matter what." Max felt her cheeks heat considerably, starting to feel embarrassed. "I... I just wanted to do the same for you." She shuffled in place, feeling the urge to run. "I--"

Dana calmed her nerves by virtue of stepping forward and wrapping Max into a hug. Nothing was said for a long moment. Max, because that one act took nearly everything she had. Dana, because she knew Max's simple gesture was anything but. Finally, Dana pulled away and gave Max a wide, warm smile. "You're an absolute sweetheart. Simply the best." She gave Max a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much."

"Um..." Max shuffled in place but couldn't help but smile. "You're welcome."

Dana wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder and walked her to the door. "If you need to ask more questions later, I'll be happy to share whatever I can."

"I will. And I will." Max grinned. "Have a good night, Dana."

"You, too, Max."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've really come to like Dana so I spent a lot of time on this chapter, trying to get her just right. I hope I succeeded!
> 
> A few notes: first, I wanted Dana to be single so she, too, could be a contender to Max's heart. But I also didn't want her to break up with Logan for the exact same reasons as canon, partly because in this AU, contraceptives and birth control are ridiculously cheap and readily available to all. Men and women, both, need only to visit a family doctor to ensure they get the proper type of contraceptive, then they have a prescription for life. Should something change with their biology or chemistry and their prescription is no longer effective, it only takes another doctor visit to change the prescription to something better. So, the chances of an unwanted pregnancy is pathetically low.
> 
> Dana dropping Logan like a bad habit for ignoring her safeword was planned from the get-go. Nice and forgiving as she is, there are firm lines and Logan shattered one of them. Also, I wanted to reiterate the things that Victoria said in chapter 10 about safewords and their importance. Sadly, everything Dana said about Logan and that whole situation is 100% correct. Because no one was critically injured or killed, there's nothing, officially, that can be done against him. But, there are other ways of punishing Logan for his indiscretions. I already have something in the works.
> 
> Yes, Dana is a bondage enthusiast and loves being tied up. This was inspired by a set of CG works I found online a long time ago from an unknown artist that predates Life Is Strange by at least five years. The girl, clad in white lingerie, white shoulder-length gloves, white thigh-highs, and white heels, was rendered in all sorts of bondage positions, and has a facial structure that, to me, looks remarkably similar to Dana. So when I saw her in Life Is Strange much later, I couldn't help but make the comparison. And considering this is a D/S AU, I felt it was a perfect match.
> 
> Dana and Juliet are super close and have been best friends for years now. They know each other's quirks and are incredibly comfortable with each other. Even with their sexual experimentation, they never reached "friends with benefits" levels of closeness, a deliberate choice of mine. While they don't engage in sex with one another, they will still do things for each other that others might consider a bit too close (not that either of them would give a rat's ass). Dana, as she mentioned, will give Juliet massages, sometimes full-body massages, while Juliet, knowing Dana loves it, would tie her up for an hour or two.
> 
> Dana being a switch was something that was planned since the fic's beginning. The idea that I have is, much like bisexuality is in the real world, switches aren't really respected in this AU. As open and accepting as most everyone is about sexuality overall, many are very binary in thought when it comes to the Dom/sub dynamic. And since it's much easier to accept a Service sub than it is a Service Domme, Dana simply picked that as her label and ran with it. Juliet, obviously, knows the truth and is more than accepting of that aspect of Dana, though at Dana's request, she's never shared that info with anyone.
> 
> Dana gives all of her contacts unusual nicknames, just things that strike her fancy at the time. Amber Waves of Grain, from the song "America the Beautiful," is simply one example. More will be revealed later as needed.
> 
> I purposely didn't have Victoria greet Max in the hall with all the others because her kiss with Max will me a LOT more memorable. That's coming up in the next chapter, so stay tuned.


	29. This Action Will Have Consequences

When Max stepped out into the hall and turned to go to her room, she was stunned to find herself wrapped into another hug, this time from Juliet, who had been hovering nearby. Max blinked, caught completely off-guard. "Um--"

"Thank you," Juliet whispered, her voice tremulous. "Thank you for being with Dana. Thank you for being such a good friend."

Max slowly returned the hug. She felt a smidgen of annoyance that Juliet had apparently been listening in on at least part of their conversation but the pain in her voice quieted any potential complaints. "I'm happy to do whatever I can," she replied just as softly. "But I know she's still hurting. I think she needs you, her best friend."

When they separated, Juliet wiped at her eyes. "She... Dana never told me what happened even when I knew something was up, so I wasn't able to help before. But now, I think I can."

Max gave her a small smile. "Go on, then. Don't let me stop you."

"Thank you." Juliet gave Max a small nod, then walked inside Dana's room, closing the door behind her. Since Dana's door was hardly ever closed, except when she was asleep, it was a definitive "Do Not Disturb" sign that she doubted anyone would interrupt. Max could only hope that Juliet would be able to do more for Dana than she did.

Max made her way back to her room, closing the door behind her. Sometimes, she left her door open a crack for the air flow but figured it was just late enough to close it for privacy. It certainly wasn't late enough to go to sleep, though. So, after placed her stuff on her desk, she considered what to do next.

After weighing her options, she collected the photos still laying on her bed and carefully stacked them on her desk, deciding her photo wall could wait until she got a good night's sleep. She also opted against practicing her guitar. While she didn't think it'd be too noisy for the dorm, it was late enough in the evening that most everyone was probably winding down, perhaps listening to their own music, and likely wouldn't appreciate her interrupting that. If she was smart, she'd start on her homework but Max was an expert procrastinator. So, that, too, could wait until tomorrow. There were those new magazines she purchased, though. Hmm. Yeah. But first, Max decided to turn on the radio and have that on in the background. She did that sometimes, as it filled the silence and helped make things not feel so lonely.

Max blinked at that. Was she... lonely? Really?

She gave the matter some thought. While she was fairly introverted and did like her privacy, she could admit that sometimes, she felt a slight itch (she didn't have a better word for it) to hang out with someone. They really didn't have to do anything together, honestly. Just being close to a friend was enough for her. The problem was, she always felt like an intruder if she ever visited, and as a result, felt like she had to do something with them to make up for the interruption, which in turn made her feel weird and awkward, which further explained why she kept to herself and didn't visit people too often. Seriously, how lame would it be to knock on Rachel's or Steph's door and say, "Hi, sorry to interrupt, but can I ruin all of your plans and just sit near you for a bit?" It sounded supremely stupid in her head, never mind spoke aloud.

Max shook her head with a soft sigh. No, she couldn't do that, bothering people with her idiocy. She'd just deal with it. But then, Dana's idea came to mind. Maybe…? She went to her desk and took hold of the bottle of nail polish sitting there, then considered it. She wouldn't just be interrupting, she'd be returning something, like Dana said. Maybe she could use that time to be close to her? But not stay very long, though. She just had to figure out how long was long enough without becoming a nuisance.

Thinking about Dana's idea led to Max thinking about their just-concluded interview and about levels of intimacy. She sat, magazines forgotten, as she considered Chloe and Rachel and how close she was, physically, with the two of them. Both of them seemed to touch her about equally but there were differences. Chloe was all about friendly pats on the shoulder, sudden hugs, mock punches against her shoulder, high fives. Almost like a guy. Max grinned to herself. That is, if she knew any guys and could compare them. More like, how she'd seen guys behave in and around school. She'd call it rough-housing but Chloe was never rough with her. Despite her punk exterior, she was amazingly gentle with Max. Even when she unexpectedly pulled her in for a hug and Max lost her balance because she was in the middle of something, Chloe would always, always catch her and steady her. She was so considerate, so amazing. Her touches were friendly and ever-present.

Rachel, on the other hand, was flirty. As befitting her nature, she could be counted on to touch Max's hands, her cheeks, her knee, brush her fingers through Max's hair, all completely innocent but sprinkled with doses of Rachel-ness. In fact, if she wasn't already in a committed relationship with Chloe, Max would wonder if Rachel was actually flirting with her. She'd always have that smile, too, that twinkle in her eyes that together, formed a look that tantalized Max and likely hundreds of others. Dog, she was going to be such a great model. Her hugs lingered. Like Chloe's, now that she thought about it, but different. Gentler. It was hard to describe in words but very often, her hugs felt… enticing?

Rachel and Chloe were always touching each other, too. They were dating, so that made sense, but thinking back, Max couldn't recall a time when they were physically separated from each other for longer than five minutes that didn't involve a bathroom break. Max supposed it was normal for them, being so much in love with one another. And it wasn't like they were ALWAYS together. Chloe lived at her home, after all, while Rachel was here in the dorms. Except when Chloe stayed over at Blackwell. It was kinda sorta against the rules but not only was that rule not too terribly enforced, it was widely known they were Domme/sub. Perhaps not officially recognized yet but close enough.

Contrasting the two was Kate. She and Max didn't hug or hold hands nearly as often as Max did with either Rachel or Chloe, but that didn't mean they weren't close. Their tea dates, for example, were so heart-warming. Max recalled their date on Friday and how good it felt to be with Kate, to just spend time with her, talk with her, share important things. It even felt good to sit next to each other in AP English and make music together in Music Lab. If Max compared their relationship to the ones she had with Chloe and Rachel, she could comfortably say it was as strong and intimate, just different. Like Dana said.

Her relationship with both Steph and Dana was much newer in comparison and, therefore, their levels of intimacy were not as strong as the other three (and that was counting all the friendly pecks on the cheek Dana had been giving her today, something she figured would stop tomorrow), but that was okay. Everything at its own pace. They were so awesome and friendly, and she could easily see herself growing as close with them as she was with the other three. Max hoped that was normal.

And what about everyone else? Victoria came to mind and the thought made Max snicker. No, that was impossible for, like, a hundred reasons. "Victoria" and "intimacy" couldn't exist in the same sentence as "Max." That's not to say Victoria wasn't intimate. Max wasn't stupid enough to assume that. She was Courtney's Domme, after all, and had to have a sense of intimacy there. And considering how Courtney kissed Max earlier (holy hell, that was intense!), their level was likely incredibly high. Like Chloe and Rachel's, except more private, considering Max had never seen them share public displays of affection.

That thought let Max to wonder about Victoria and Courtney's relationship when compared to Rachel and Chloe's. Could they be considered girlfriends? Do they consider themselves girlfriends? Did they just consider themselves a Domme/sub couple without any other labels? To Max, there seemed to be a major difference in connotations between girlfriends and Domme/sub couples but perhaps that wasn't the case with them? Did they consider themselves a D/s couple first and girlfriends second, then? Or the other way around? If Max were to get in a relationship with someone, would she be a girlfriend or a sub? Could she be both? Did she have a preference?

A knock on her door interrupted her train of thought. Max blinked, curious as to who it might be (it couldn't be Rachel or Chloe, since either of them would've walked in already), then rose and opened her door. Then, blinked again. "Um, hi!"

Right outside her door was Victoria, looking ready for bed but still incredible in an electric blue robe that seemed to shimmer in the light. Was that silk? Max felt a surprising urge to reach out and stroke the material but stopped herself from embarrassing herself. And possibly getting murdered.

"Caulfield. Good evening." Victoria gave Max her new almost-warm smile. She reached forward, handing Max a bag she only just now noticed. "Happy birthday."

"O-oh! Thanks!" Max took the bag automatically, then, after a slight pause, opened her door a bit wider. "Would you like to come in?"

"Thank you."

As Victoria strode inside, Max couldn't help but flick her gaze down. She noticed by the way the robe hugged Victoria's body that she was wearing some sort of pajama set beneath it, likely a cami and shorts deal, considering she couldn't see any long pants. Which was a blessing as Victoria's bare legs looked absolutely mouth-watering. Max started. What the fuck was she thinking?! Max gulped and gently closed her door and prayed that Victoria couldn't read her mind. Fortunately for her continued well-being, Victoria seemed to be completely absorbed by her photo wall.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Max looked inside the bag Victoria had given her and blinked in surprise. Her favorite cookies. A variety pack of granola bars. A box of unfrosted strawberry Pop-Tarts. And a small cellophane bag that contained miniature waffles? Max withdrew the little bag and tried to figure out what they were. A snack of some sort, obviously, but she'd never seen anything like it before.

"Those are _stroopwafels_ ," Victoria explained, still looking at the photo wall. "There's a little bakery near where we visited this weekend that makes them fresh. Considering your favorite cookies, I had a feeling you might like them." She turned to Max. "They'll keep another day or two but not much further than that so make certain you eat them soon."

"Thank you." Max gave Victoria a warm smile. "Thank you so much for the gift. I love it."

Victoria cleared her throat and then turned away. "You're welcome." She was tempted to comment further, add how it wasn't a big deal or how Max shouldn't rely on her to restock her own supply of snacks but, remembering the advice Taylor gave her, opted to remain silent. Instead, she focused on the wall as Max put the snacks away.

As always, it was amazing. What Max didn't know or even suspect, was this wasn't the first time Victoria had seen the photo wall. Victoria had been making regular snack runs to Max's room since the beginning of the semester and had subsequently seen the photo wall develop and grow. It was a source of supreme fascination to her, to get this glimpse into the mind of her most direct rival, the shy hipster who somehow managed to worm herself into Victoria's thoughts. It had irritated her, that slight infatuation, because she had always considered Max an utter fake and was completely pissed off at herself for feeling anything at all. Damn hormones. But now that she knew the truth, Victoria could finally let herself feel that attraction, sans all the anger, and allow it to grow. She just hoped it wasn't too late to act on it because if what Courtney and Taylor said was true, there were plenty of Dommes also interested in Max, and every single one of them had treated her with far more kindness and respect than she had.

To that end, she studied the photo wall and all the recent additions to it, to not just find nice things to say to her but also get a further glimpse into Max's life. It wasn't going to be hard to compliment her, though, not when she had such incredible talent that showed through nearly every shot on display. It had always stunned her, just how good Max was at capturing moments in time. The analogue medium Max preferred lent an air of innocence to her shots and, occasionally, a rawness as well. The shot of Rachel at the beach party a couple weeks back, for example. Max had caught her mid-dance, arms up high, hair cast to one side, the light from the bonfire illuminating one side of her face, casting the other in deep, contrasting shadow. The hint of bodies in the background, the angle, the composition, all of it made it appear that Rachel was an elemental creature born of the fire itself and had emerged from the flames to grace the mere mortals that surrounded her with her presence.

Raw. Visceral. Fucking astounding. Victoria knew could do the same with her digital but could she do it with an analogue, as Max had done? Because that was the most disgusting thing about the photo: Caulfield had done it with a fucking instant camera and in one try. It was sickening. It was awe-inspiring. She wanted to hate her so much, had gotten so close in the past, but, dammit, she just couldn't. Not anymore.

"I was curious," she began slowly, "about some of these shots here."

"Um, okay?"

"Did any of them require multiple takes to get right?"

Max nodded. "A few, actually." She looked at the wall, knowing exactly which ones she had screwed up. She stepped up to the edge of her bed and pointed to one of a hockey rink. "This is one. It took me three tries to get just right. The first shot, too much of the flash bounced off the glass and ruined the shot. The second was blurry because I jostled the camera."

Victoria hummed. "I know this shot is important to you because it's on your wall but how come?" Victoria stepped forward as well until she was next to Max. "It's an okay shot, not as good as others here, but I don't see any players or refs on the ice like I'd suspect, and only a few people in the background."

"It…" Max paused and collected her thoughts, surprised that Victoria wanted to know more. "It isn't the best shot because I only had the camera for a couple months and was still inexperienced. But I have it on my Memorial Wall because this was the first hockey game my father ever took me to. The Seattle Thunderbirds. It was about a year and a half after we had moved from Arcadia Bay and he wanted to do something special for me. His promotion had really taken off and he could afford season tickets, and I'd always liked watching hockey on TV, especially when a fight broke out."

Victoria smirked. "So, shy hipster Caulfield likes it when big, burly men punch each other in the face."

Max blushed. "It's not that. Not really. It's just that hockey is so kinetic. There's always something happening. There's constant motion. It's real. A good game is never boring. And these players are young and trying super hard so they can potentially get picked up by pro teams. They're not the best but they're giving it their all, and it shows."

She motioned towards the photo again. "The rink is empty because after the game was over, I asked my dad if we could wait so I could take a picture without anyone else around. Crowds make me nervous, something I can ignore in the middle of a game when I and everyone is too busy cheering to think, but not right afterwards when everyone is jostling everyone else, trying to leave. He understood and we stuck around, then got right up to the glass so I could take my photo." She smiled at the memory. "I wanted that day to last forever. I didn't try taking a picture during the game because, as far away as we were, and as fast as everyone usually moves, it would've wound up looking like red smears against a white background, if anything showed up at all, and that's only if someone didn't shoot out of their seat at that moment and block the shot from happening in the first place."

"I see." It was so intriguing to Victoria to hear Max talk about her photos. It took a while but eventually, Max would forget to be shy and nervous and just talk, motioning with her hands a bit, her face animated. She was such an open book and, dare she think it, cute. Victoria turned back to the wall and pointed to one of the recent additions, the one of Courtney and Alyssa laughing. "From the party this morning, I take it?"

"Yes." Max grinned. "I think Dana had just made a really bad joke and Chloe followed up with something even raunchier. I managed to capture this moment because I'd heard it from her before and was prepared." Max chuckled. "Then, Kate of all people said something even worse than that and had the entire room falling over themselves."

Kate, the choir girl, cracked a crude joke? Damn, Victoria had really missed out. That would've been something to see. "Courtney said you had a good time."

"The best." Max turned, still smiling. "I've never had such a fun birthday party in my life. Everyone was so good to me and it was such fun. I wish you and Taylor could've been there, too. I think you would've had a great time, especially when Steph pulled out the Wii and the sports titles. You could've put Brooke in her place, at the very least. She was too good at most everything." She pointed to another shot and snickered. "Man, she hated it when Kate and Rachel beat her and Juliet at tennis."

Max stayed looking at the wall, reminiscing about the party, and completely missed how Victoria needed to take a moment to compose herself. Her simple earnest statement, "I wish you and Taylor could've been there, too," was hitting Victoria right in the feels. She raised her hand and nearly touched Max's shoulder, but froze, uncertain, then slowly lowered it. She swallowed. Fucking hell, why was she getting the jitters? She was Victoria Chase, Queen, Domme! She didn't get mother fucking butterflies, for Christ's sake. She clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath, then quietly let it out.

When she had regained her calm, she turned to face Max. "Taylor and Courtney both mentioned a special birthday present you got from them and the others."

Max nodded. "Yeah..." Then, Victoria's words actually registered. She whirled around, eyes wide. "Um... I-- I mean... Uh--"

Victoria raised a hand. "Breathe, Caulfield. Just like before."

Max nodded shakily and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths, in and out, and slowly, she calmed down, though her pulse remained a bit elevated.

Victoria nodded to herself. Much better. "I mentioned it because it's still your birthday for another three hours. And if what Courtney and Taylor said is correct, you're still owed a few kisses." She waited for Max to reopen her eyes and gave her a soft smile. "I would like to give you a birthday kiss as well, but only with your permission."

Max blinked at the unexpectedly warm look on Victoria's face. Wowsers, she was beautiful. Then, she considered Victoria's words. On one hand, she was a bit surprised that Victoria of all people was approaching her this way. But on the other, she knew exactly why. "Consent, right?"

"Exactly," Victoria replied with a nod. "Even if you've received kisses from everyone else, it wouldn't be right to assume you want one from me. And even if you did, there's no way of knowing you want one right this moment. So, when in doubt, ask."

"I appreciate that so much." Max shuffled in place and steeled herself. "Then, I have only one word to say in response." She licked her lips, took a deep breath, and looked Victoria right in the eyes. "Green."

Hearing Max call out her safeword ignited something in Victoria and set her to motion. She stepped forward until she was in Max's personal space and took a moment to drink in the sight. Those blue eyes, so innocent, looking at her with anticipation and a touch of nervousness. Those lips, slightly parted and a touch glossy from when Max licked them. Those fucking freckles that Victoria wanted to name like stars in the night sky. She lifted her left hand and cupped Max's cheek, mesmerized when Max's eyes fluttered shut. She gently stroked those freckles with her thumb and felt her heart pound when Max leaned into her touch.

God, she was so responsive. It reminded her of how Courtney reacted when they first started off. Victoria reached out with her other hand and gently grasped Max's left shoulder, gently stroking Max through the thin material of the t-shirt. Max sighed softly in response and tilted her head slightly more into Victoria's hand, inadvertently exposing the wide expanse of her neck. It was a tantalizing target, one she had to mark.

Victoria eased her left hand from Max's cheek and slid it up and into Max's hair, then slowly made a fist. She tugged on Max's hair, pulling her head back, and was delighted to hear her gasp. Victoria gave Max a second to stare up into her eyes, to see the lust growing there, before she bent her head down and claimed those lips with her own. That was a far as she was going to take things. Give Max a firm, proper Domme kiss, one she would always remember. She wasn't prepared for Max to groan out loud and reach forward to grasp at Victoria, trying to tug her closer to apparently intensify the kiss.

Victoria was more than ready to oblige.

Reaching down with her right hand, Victoria grabbed Max's waist and yanked her close, pressing their bodies firmly together. At the same time, she flicked her tongue across Max's lips, seeking permission. Those lips parted, granting entry, and Victoria deepened their kiss. She felt Max's hands flutter to her sides and back, trying and failing to gain purchase on the silk robe. Instead, her hands slid across Victoria's body, a bit clumsy but still stoking the fires of lust that were growing.

Victoria pulled away and tugged Max's head to the left, further exposing her neck. She bent her head down and began planting open-mouthed kisses along and across that sensitive area, causing Max to gasp a second time then moan softly. The sounds she emitted fueled Victoria who desired to hear more. She scraped her teeth up the side of Max's neck, felt the pulse pounding beneath her lips, then licked that one sensitive spot at the base of her ear.

Max's legs buckled at the sensation, which would've broken contact, if Victoria hadn't anticipated the reaction. She quickly reached down and grasped Max's ass in a firm grip to keep her upright before sucking on her earlobe, biting it, tugging at it with her teeth. The moans came louder and were turning her on something fierce. She savaged Max's neck again, barely keeping from leaving a trail of hickeys all along the pale skin. She left a hot trail of kisses back up to Max's lips, which she claimed once more.

Victoria heard Max whimper and it sang to her. More. She wanted to hear more. Letting go of Max's hair, she reached down and hoisted the hipster up by her ass just enough to shift her onto the nearby bed. She grasped Max's wrists and lifted them above her head, then pinned her to the mattress. Denied the opportunity to clutch at Victoria, Max instead arched her back and rocked her hips, unconsciously begging for more of the Domme's touch.

Victoria could see Max's hardened nipples through the thin fabric of her t-shirt and was tempted to tweak them with her fingers and lips. Sorely tempted. But instead, she lowered her head and nuzzled the other side of Max's neck until the hipster tilted her head away, granting her access. Victoria placed more hot kisses there, using her lips, tongue, and teeth to drive Max absolutely insane. She lowered herself fully onto Max, the sensation of the smaller girl writhing beneath her wholly provocative. Victoria felt Max wrap her legs around her waist to keep her in place and knew it was time. She licked her own lips and tilted her head down to--

to--

…

JESUS FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WAS SHE DOING?!?!

Victoria jerked herself upright, the reality of what she was about to do hitting her like a ton of bricks. She tried to leave, to let go, but was frozen in place, appalled by her actions. She continued to stare at Max who, quite unexpectedly, slowly rolled her head back towards Victoria, eyes half-lidded, and whispered, "Mistress."

FuckfuckfuckFUCK! She had to go! Right! The Fuck! Now! Victoria released Max's wrists and tore herself away, staggering back a step. "I--" What the fuck could she possibly say now!? "I… have to go." She turned away and tore Max's door open. She paused a moment, flicked her gaze towards the shy girl she had nearly ravished, who was still staring at her with those goddamn bedroom eyes, then looked away. "Good night."

And was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone makes mistakes. It's just a matter of owning up to those mistakes, apologizing for them, and trying to make things right. What mistakes were made here? We shall see.
> 
> I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone, anyone who has ever left a kudos or a comment, who has stopped by my Tumblr (<https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>, and everyone who just stops in to read. Just, thank you so much for giving this fic a chance. It means a lot to me!
> 
> Chapter 30 is about halfway done already. It was more done but I had to go back and redo a decent chunk of it since the feel wasn't quite there.
> 
> It suddenly occurred to me: this entire fic has, so far, only spanned five days. Chapter 1 started on a Tuesday. The next chapter picks up right where this one leaves off, and it's only Saturday. Is that normal? I really don't know. All I do know is, five days or not, I'm still having an absolute blast writing this story!
> 
> Looking beyond chapter 30:  
> A friendly meeting between two antagonistic Dommes  
> Max takes more photos  
> Miss Carter reads Max's e-mails  
> Max's sub role is finally discovered  
> The Vortex throws a party


	30. Sub Drop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested, hop on over to <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com> where I occasionally blather on about the fic and other WIPs.

Victoria hurried from Max's room, barely remembering to not slam the door behind her. She was flustered, jittery, a nervous wreck. Thank God the halls were empty and no one was around to witness her being so very un-Chase-like, not that she'd give a flying fuck at the moment. But she couldn't stay here. Not in her room, not in the dorm. She needed out. She needed space. She needed air.

She needed a fucking cigarette.

Victoria marched into her room, grabbed her smokes and her lighter from her desk, then quickly left. Still dressed in her silk robe and pajamas, ballet-style slippers on her feet, Victoria hurried down the stairs, lighting a cigarette the moment she reached the landing. She stormed straight to her favored table, partially hidden in the shadows between two street lanterns, and dropped her ass onto the bench, never once considering the potential damage the bench could do to her robe. Instead, she tried focusing on her cigarette and absolutely nothing else. Unfortunately, that proved utterly impossible. The only thing that kept replaying in her mind was Max.

She took another drag and tried to scowl at the glowing tip. Goddamn, Max! Victoria shook her head. No, fuck, this wasn't Max's fault at all. This was all hers and hers alone. So what that Max was so responsive, so receptive? Who cares that she did, literally, everything right, reacted so damn perfectly to her every move? _SHE_ was the Domme. She was supposed to have control. She should've known better and put the brakes on before things got that heated. They went... _SHE_ went way too far.

She almost cheated on Courtney.

Pounding the heel of her hand to her forehead once, twice, thrice, Victoria shut her eyes against the wave of disgust she felt for herself. How could she have done something so fucking stupid?! Yes, she had the hots for Max. She had explained this to Courtney when the two spoke about the extremely unlikely possibility of having Max join them as a sub. But she'd never act on that. Not without Courtney, not before everyone was on the same page. But, dammit, she very nearly did. Nearly took Max right then and there. Nearly fucked her goddamn brains out like some horny dude-bro.

Victoria squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that threatened to fall. She had so completely and royally fucked up. What was she going to do now? How was she going to apologize to Courtney? How could she even face her? What if Courtney... left?

"Mistress."

The soft voice snapped Victoria back to awareness. She jerked her head up and whirled around. Standing not three feet from her was Courtney. Her sub. Clad in a fashionable tracksuit, white Keds on her feet. She looked concerned. Concerned for her Mistress. And that made Victoria feel all the more guilty. She cleared her throat. "Court."

"Forgive me, Mistress, but I was just returning from a short walk when I saw you storm out of the dorms. I could tell that something was upsetting you." Courtney approached a half-step closer. "I followed but wasn't sure if you wanted company. So I kept my distance, stayed quiet. But Mistress," Courtney stepped closer still, within arms reach, "I can't stand to see you in such pain. Something is hurting you. And I want to help." She lifted her hand and hovered it over Victoria's shoulder. Waiting for permission. "Please. If you'll let me."

Her soft words, her loyalty, struck Victoria like a punch in the gut. Her hand trembled slightly as she crushed out her cigarette on the table top, then turned to face her sub fully. She reached out and gently guided Courtney to sit in her lap, then held her close. She felt Courtney's arms wrap around her shoulders, felt the warmth of the embrace, the care, and closed her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and slowly shook her head. "Court, I'm so fucking sorry..."

And in the quad of the Prescott Dormitories, seated at the partially hidden picnic table, Domme and sub held each other, one comforting the other, softly speaking, gently listening, where only the shadows bore witness.

 

* * *

 

…

    … floating

        she was floating

                flying

                        soaring

                                she felt so good

                                                so wonderful

                                so...

                        warm

        …

she was

floating

sinking

falling

cold

…

where...?

missing

something was missing

find it

find the missing thing

she pushed herself upright

slid to her feet

staggered

moved forward

find the thing

she shivered

opened the door

nothing

…

keep going

find the thing

cold

keep moving

hand on the wall

brace against it

another door

open

sounds. voices.

reach forward.

found the thing.

not missing.

it's here.

embrace.

she was sinking.

sinking into warmth.

she sighed.

…

… floating

 

* * *

 

It caught Steph more than a little off-guard when Max suddenly staggered into Rachel's room behaving like she was half-drunk. Worse still was when she stepped forward to help (she had been closest to the door), Max tried to give her a clumsy kiss. Not that she would've minded the attempt under normal circumstances but this was anything but normal.

Rachel and Chloe immediately came to assist and they all ushered Max to the couch, speaking quickly but not getting any sort of response from Max. Nothing coherent, anyway. She only made the occasional soft groan and tried to burrow into Steph's side. Rachel somehow figured out what was happening and told everyone to stay calm and speak to Max in a soft, caring fashion, then asked Steph to keep holding her close while Chloe draped a fleece blanket around Max's shoulders to keep her warm.

Once that was done, Steph wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and allowed the shy girl to snuggle right up against her on Rachel's couch. Thankfully, Max was no longer twitching like she was trying to wake up from a bad dream but instead was quiet, breathing deeply, seemingly content. Steph looked towards Rachel who was busy pulling something from her micro-fridge. "How did you know what was happening?" she asked softly.

Rachel withdrew a bottle of water and a small bottle of juice, then closed the fridge door. "I've seen something like this before," she replied as she set the two bottles down on a small end table near Steph. "First-hand experience, actually."

Steph glanced over to Chloe. "Really? You've experienced sub space and drop?"

"Yeah," Chloe replied just as softly. "One night, at the American Rust, maybe about a year or so ago, I asked Rachel to push me to my absolute limits to see if I could get there."

"Some impact play, sensory dep, bondage, a touch of breathplay." Rachel shook her head as she rummaged inside the small shelving unit below her fridge. "It was incredibly intense. We'd never done anything like that before or since."

Steph gave Max's head a soft stroke, relieved that she responded by smiling softly. "You guys never mentioned it before."

Chloe shrugged. "It's not something we like to remember, honestly. Great as an experiment but the aftermath was unnerving, to say the least."

"What happened?" Steph blinked. "If you guys want to talk about it, I mean. If it's none of my business, just say so."

"No, it's good." Rachel found what she was looking for and brought over a small bag of dark chocolate Kisses. "It's been a year now and we trust you implicitly." She set the bag down, then approached Max, looking her over. She reached out a hand and gently cupped Max's cheek, sighing in relief when Max smiled again. "You're safe, Max," she whispered. "Safe and sound. Steph, Chloe, and I are watching over you. Just relax. We have you."

Max didn't respond but that was expected. Rachel stepped back then took a seat on the arm of the couch opposite Steph, legs in Chloe's lap. "Like Chloe said," she continued softly, "I managed to put her into sub space. It was the first time it had ever happened. I took the classes so I knew _of_ it but had no real experience _with_ it."

"The thing about sub space is it feels great. Euphoric. Like, I was high." Chloe smirked. "No over-priced weed required."

"But, just as the class taught, we discovered firsthand it also dulls pain perception. Motor functions drop and cognition goes out the window, too."

Steph glanced at Max then back to Rachel and Chloe. "I think I see where this is going."

"I took Chloe too far," Rachel explained. "Because I was inexperienced. I was trying to push myself as a Domme and kept waiting for a safeword that was never going to happen."

"I was totally out of it," Chloe added. "Didn't even know where I was, who I was. No way for me to call uncle."

"We had a time limit for our experiment so I wasn't going to keep going forever. But when we were finished, I was surprised, then shocked, that Chloe was so unresponsive. I was scared shitless for a minute. Thank all that's holy that we had Googled what might happen and were somewhat prepared. We had enough stuff stored in the shack for me to bring Chloe down slowly and safely."

"I was sore for a while, though, and even missed class the next day because, like idiots, we did our experiment on a Sunday." Chloe grinned and pulled Rachel close. "But on the bright side, Rachel was constantly at my side, making sure I was okay. I wound up staying over at Blackwell the rest of that week."

Steph carefully brushed her fingertips through Max's bangs. "Even though you'd been expelled by that point?" she asked.

Rachel nodded. "I dragged Chloe to the school nurse here and explained everything that had happened. She examined Chloe to make certain there were no cuts that needed dressing and nothing was sprained, broken, or too deeply bruised. She scolded us mildly but thanked us for being prudent and coming in to get checked out. Then, she wrote up an aftercare prescription, essentially, lasting a week, that allowed Chloe to stay with me whenever she wasn't at school at Tillamook High. It might've rankled Principal Wells a bit, having a non-student staying at the dorms, but as Chloe's Domme, she was my responsibility. I had to take care of her, make sure she didn't crash."

Steph nodded and stroked her hand through Max's hair again. "Did you? Crash, I mean."

Chloe looked at Rachel and thought back. "Maybe a couple of times? Nothing too harsh, though. Mainly, I needed a bit more attention than usual, so it really helped that I was allowed to stay here with her. Plus, that closeness allowed me to keep Rachel from feeling so damn guilty about the whole deal."

"I was genuinely terrified I had ruined everything between us," Rachel said. "I was the Domme, I should've known better. I felt so fucking guilty." She wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders and gave her a kiss. "She just kept at it, telling me she loved me, even thanked me for the experiment. I was a weepy mess by the end of it but we're better off as a result."

Chloe turned back to Steph. "We agreed we wouldn't go that far again. I don't need it as a switch and Rachel isn't that type of Domme."

"Space and drop is different for everyone. And some people don't ever reach sub space at all. But because Chloe did, and reacted somewhat similarly, I knew what to do here."

Steph looked at the shy sub still curled into her side and smiled a bit. "It seemed like Max was hovering between space and drop, so I'm glad she's safe, here with us." Her brow furrowed as something occurred to her. "But who could've done this? And why abandon her afterwards?" It was common knowledge that failing to provide the appropriate aftercare to a sub after a scene was a major no-no.

"I have a suspicion as to who it was and why. I just didn't want to do anything until I knew Max was settled and protected."

Chloe gave her girlfriend a steady look. "Whose ass do I kick for this?"

Rachel smiled as she stood from the couch. Chloe's loyalty to her friends was legendary as Logan could attest. She leaned down and gave Chloe another kiss. "No one yet, babe. Like I said, I have my suspicions but not the facts. When I get those, and an ass still needs to be kicked, you'll be the first to know."

Steph and Chloe watched as Rachel stepped back into her shoes, then shrugged into her flannel shirt. "If Max comes to, have her drink either the juice if she's up for it, or the water if she isn't. Babe, if she looks like she needs a bit of a pick-me-up, offer the chocolates. If she requests something odd, like a specific snack or something, do what you can to accommodate but make certain she knows she's not responsible for this. I'll be right back."

"Where are you headed?" Chloe asked.

Rachel shot her a confident grin. "To confirm my suspicions."

 

* * *

 

Victoria wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, after she was finished talking, but she didn't care. Even after explaining what she had done and what she'd nearly done, Courtney was still here, with her, in her arms. Victoria wasn't religious by any stretch of the imagination but she was still thanking God for the gift that was her sub right now.

Courtney kissed the side of Victoria's neck and realized something. "Mistress, you're getting cold."

"Don't care," was her reply, muffled somewhat as she still had her face buried in Courtney's chest.

"Well, I do. And I don't want Queen-sicles tomorrow morning." Courtney tapped Victoria on the shoulder. "Let's go to bed."

Victoria just squeezed her tighter. "No."

Courtney couldn't help but grin. Victoria must be feeling better since she only acted like a petulant child when she was feeling playful. "Then what can I do to convince you to come to bed?"

"Hmm." Victoria turned her head just enough to grip the zipper of Courtney's hoodie with her teeth, then leaned back, drawing it down a bit. She let go, then nuzzled close, placing a soft kiss on the exposed skin beneath. "I can think of a couple of things."

"Mistress!" Courtney gasped in mock surprise. "We are in a public place. We mustn't!"

Victoria snorted at Courtney's hammy voice. "And if I said we're going to?"

Courtney considered Victoria's question. Her Domme still sounded playful but she wasn't taking any chances. "If it pleases you, Mistress, I'll gladly disrobe for you."

"Even here, even now?"

"Always and forever, Mistress."

Victoria simply held Courtney close, touched, as always, by her sub's absolute faithfulness. That she still had it despite what had transpired earlier was a damn miracle. "I won't ask that of you," she said softly. "You're not ready for something like that and, quite frankly, neither am I."

Courtney nodded. "You treat me so well. Yes, you could ask and I would obey, but I know you wouldn't. Not yet." She tilted her head down and kissed the top of Victoria's hair. "But soon."

"Soon," Victoria agreed. It was something both of them were interested in doing, eventually: a demonstration or performance. Victoria because she was proud of her sub and wanted to show her off. Courtney because she wanted to try out something public and make her Domme proud. Neither was quite ready yet but had been slowly working up to it. They had tentative plans to do something next semester, during the Vortex Club's annual kink fest.

First things first, though: get back to the dorms. Even if actual sleep was another hour or so away, it was certainly time to relax in each other's company, maybe read, maybe watch a movie or some brainless TV. The pair took the stairs back up to the girls' floor and went to Victoria's room to drop off her cigarettes and pick up her phone. But when they got there, an unexpected visitor was waiting for them: Rachel Amber.

Victoria paused in the doorway, seeing her on-again, off-again nemesis seated on her couch, then entered her room with a huff. She walked over to her desk, placed her cigarettes and lighter back in the top drawer, then turned to Rachel who had stood to face her.

"Bitch."

"Cunt."

Their standard greeting concluded, Victoria put her hands on her hips. "Even you wouldn't come in my room, especially when I wasn't around, unless it was life-threateningly important, so by all means, cut to the chase and tell me why you're here."

Rachel smirked. "'Cut to the chase?' I didn't know you were into puns."

"And I wasn't aware your taste in humor had sunk so low," Victoria countered. "Price's influence on you must be worse than I thought."

"That remains to be seen. But, since I actually I agree with your initial sentiment, I'll get to the point." The smirk fell off her face and, to Victoria's minor surprise, she got serious. "It's about Max."

Victoria's eyes flickered, then went neutral. "What about Caulfield?"

Rachel noticed the look but continued. "Several minutes ago, Max stumbled into my room. She was out of it, behaving like she was half-drunk. Lack of coordination, fairly unresponsive, all that." She nodded her head in the general direction of her room. "Steph and Chloe are looking after her now."

"If you're somehow implying that I slipped her something," Victoria began, genuine anger beginning to seep into her voice.

"No." Rachel raised her hand to head her off. "Of course not. You're not that type of person." Rachel suddenly smirked again. "Drugging unsuspecting people is what you and I do to each other, not innocent subs."

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Victoria reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you ever going to let that shit go?"

"I will when you do," was Rachel's calm reply. "But that's neither here nor there. Like I said, this is about Max." She crossed her arms and gave Victoria a careful look. "Max wasn't drugged, Victoria. She was in sub space, teetering on drop. And I think you put her there."

"Excuse me?" Victoria turned her gaze to Courtney, then back. "That's not possible. I only gave her a kiss, a birthday kiss, just like everyone else on the floor. I wouldn't have done anything strenuous enough to take her there, not when she's so completely naïve to the lifestyle. And certainly not without Courtney present."

"As it turns out, I happen to agree. That's the main reason why I'm here, talking to you, instead of Chloe." Everyone in the room understood that if Chloe was in the room, there'd be way less talking and a lot more violence. "You and I may low-key hate each other but I know you're a damn good Domme. You'd never send someone to space and abandon her. Not on purpose."

"You seriously think I put her into sub space with a simple kiss?" Victoria asked, still incredulous.

"Was it a simple kiss, though? Or did you dominate her?"

Victoria blinked and thought back to her kiss with Max. Everything she put into it, her actions, Max's reactions. And, with a growing sense of dread, realized that Rachel was probably right. She turned away and clenched her hands into fists. "God-fucking-dammit..." She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to keep the growing anger she felt towards herself from spilling out. Courtney didn't need to see that.

A tense minute passed until, with a deep, regretful sigh, Victoria's shoulders slumped. "I swear I didn't mean to," she muttered. "I just wanted to give her something she'd always remember, something that would make her blush whenever she saw me across the room." She looked back to Rachel. "You know how she is."

"I do." Rachel did the same thing, after all.

Victoria brushed a hand through her hair. "And you're certain that it was me?"

"I caught a hint of your scented oils on her. It's uniquely you and quite subtle. That told me you were the last person to be with Max. But, since I also know you wouldn't have dommed her in a traditional sense, something else must have happened. And it's only because I nearly fucked up in almost the same way that was able to figure it out."

Rachel admitting she messed up? What was the world coming to? "What do you mean?"

"At the party. When it was my turn to give Max a kiss, I nearly dommed her right in front of everyone. Didn't realize I was doing it. I barely caught myself and only because, in the quiet of the room, I noticed her trembling. I suspect that sign would be easy to miss otherwise."

"Her radio was on," Victoria murmured almost to herself.

"But the other thing is Max herself," Rachel continued. "Juliet pointed out at the party that Max would react perfectly towards every kiss given. Thinking back, I can see she was right. It's like she would change tiny bits of herself to match whatever Domme was with her at that moment. Her mannerisms, her body language, her reactions, all of it. I suspect she's sensitive to Dommes, like insanely so, and have a feeling it's connected to her role, whatever it is."

Victoria nodded to herself. That seemed to fit with how Max reacted to her, too, despite having practically zero experience. "So, she's a Mirror? Tabula Rasa?"

"I don't really know," Rachel said with a shake of her head. "Neither of those fit quite right. But at the moment, there's something more important that needs addressing."

"Max, of course," Victoria nodded. She turned her attention to Courtney and gave her sub a long look. "I'm so sorry, Court."

"I've already forgiven you, Mistress." Courtney stepped forward and took Victoria's hands in hers. "It was an honest mistake. But now there's another sub you need to apologize to and make amends." She gave Victoria's hands a soft squeeze and smiled softly. "I'm certain Max will forgive you, too."

Victoria took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Let's hope so." She turned back to Rachel who had turned towards the window to give the pair some privacy. "You said she's in your room?"

"Yes," Rachel answered, turning back.

"Okay." Victoria looked at Courtney. "Why don't you wait for me in your room. I'll catch up."

"I'd much rather be by your side, Mistress. Plus, it might be helpful to Max to have another sub there, one that's experienced both space and drop."

Victoria considered it, then nodded. "True. But you have to be burning up in that," she said, nodding towards the sweatpants and hoodie Courtney still wore. She pointed towards her dresser. "Find something lighter to wear, then we'll leave."

"Yes, Mistress." And without further ado, Courtney stripped out of her tracksuit, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath, and went searching inside the dresser for something more appropriate to wear.

Rachel and Victoria both took a moment to admire Courtney's petite frame, then looked back at each other. Victoria raised an eyebrow at her guest. "Enjoying the view?"

"Duh. I'm human and I'm not dead."

"Good." Victoria hated it when people didn't appreciate her sub and all the work Courtney put into maintaining her appearance and physique.

"I'm ready, Mistress."

When Victoria turned and saw what Courtney had elected to wear, it was all she could to keep from groaning out loud. Seriously, of all the damn sleepshirts available, why pick the Sailor Uranus one? Sure, she could've ordered Courtney to change but time was wasting and the damage had already been done. She looked at Rachel, saw the amusement on her face, and didn't even bother protesting. "What? Tall, blonde, hot, lesbian, and total ass-kicker."

Rachel raised her hands in a placating fashion. "Didn't say shit. And besides, I enjoyed _Sailor Moon_ just as much as the next girl, though I was more of a Sailor Venus fan, myself."

Victoria snorted. "Of course you were." She motioned to her door. "Shall we?"

Rachel led the pair down the hall to her room. She entered first, catching the attention of the other occupants in the room. But the moment Victoria stepped within view, Chloe, who had been seated next to Max on the couch, shot up and fixed her with a glare. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"Babe, it's okay." Rachel hurried forward and placed a calming hand on Chloe's shoulder. "She's here to help, that's all. Promise."

Chloe glanced at Rachel, looked at Max, then turned back to Victoria. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as her hands curled into fists. "You..."

Uncharacteristically, Victoria remained silent. She'd normally say something snide to Rachel about calling off her attack dog but was well-aware that doing so would be the equivalent of lighting a match in a room filled with gasoline. As far as Chloe was concerned, Victoria wronged Max, and there was only one response to that. And it certainly wasn't a calm, collected discussion about boundaries. Victoria wasn't entirely certain who'd win in a knock-down, drag-out fight, but had no desire to find out.

Max, having regained awareness a few minutes ago, was still confused as to what, exactly, was going on but didn't want her friend to get thrown off campus for starting a brawl. She reached forward with one hand and gently took hold of her friend's wrist. "Chloe..."

Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but that was all it took to defuse the situation. Chloe calmed visibly and turned to face Max. "You sure? One word and she's toast."

Max cleared her throat. "I'm sure. But thank you for watching out for me."

"Always, Max Attack." Then, Max's surprise, Chloe leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be over there," she said, pointing towards Rachel's bed. "Not going anywhere. You need me, I'm here. Okay?"

"O-okay," Max said, her face a bit red from the kiss.

Victoria watched as Chloe gave her a long look before going over to the bed and having a seat, Rachel at her side, then finally entered the room. She came up to the couch and felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw that Steph was seated next to Max, one hand on the shy girl's back. Fuck, was she competition, too? Mentally, she shook her head. Not important. Max was the important one here. Fortunately, judging by her obvious confusion and nervousness, she was doing okay. Perhaps not great but nowhere near as bad as she could be, considering she wasn't prepared for what happened to her.

She felt a soft hand on her forearm and turned to see Courtney had brought Rachel's desk chair over. Victoria gave her a small nod of thanks, then sat. She shifted the chair forwards a bit as Courtney took her customary position to her right and sat back on her heels.

Victoria took a second to gird herself. Time to do the right thing, even if it cost her any chance she had. "Max," she began softly, "I'm sorry."

As she expected, the apology threw Max completely. Victoria watched as a good chunk of her nervousness melted away, though the confusion remained. If anything, Max looked even more confused, but that was fine. She could work with that.

"I can tell you're confused," she continued, "perhaps a bit scared of what happened. I'm here to help you. I want to help you. If you'll let me." Victoria waited for Max to slowly nod. "Tell me how you're feeling right now. And please, be honest."

Max shifted in her seat, looked at her hands, then back to Victoria. She cleared her throat. "I feel weird. Confused, like you said. About what happened. I was scared when I found myself here, in Rachel's room, because I don't remember walking here, but Steph and Chloe helped so much and made sure I felt safe and protected."

"Good." Victoria nodded. "I'm glad you had close friends to help you, to keep you safe. That's critically important for what you went through."

"But…" Max paused, the swallowed. "But I have no idea what happened. Or why."

"I'll explain." Victoria crossed her legs slowly as she gathered her thoughts, though she caught the way Max tracked the movement with her eyes. She kept herself from reacting, though. Now wasn't the time. "Have you ever heard of sub space?"

Max shook her head. "No."

"If you'll pardon the hippie phrasing, it's an altered state of mind that can be experienced by sub and Domme alike, though it's more prevalent in subs for several reasons. It's been compared to being high on a drug, being in a hypnotic trance, or a runner's high. It can feel euphoric, like you're floating, with not a care in the world. Courtney has experienced this many times now."

Max turned to the kneeling sub and saw her nod, a friendly smile on her face.

Victoria went on. "If you're ready for it, have experienced it before, reaching sub space is a wondrous journey. You can feel like you're on cloud nine for hours. Some report feeling an afterglow-like effect that's lasted days. It's all incredibly subjective, though, and the sensations vary from person to person."

Victoria paused here and waited for Max to reply. Eventually, she did. "Okay. I get all of that. But, what's that have to do with me?"

"One of the drawbacks of sub space is, if you're not brought back down slowly, in a safe environment, you can crash. This is called sub drop. Symptoms can include feeling lost, abandoned, scared, cold, exhausted, and depressed." She saw Max blink in realization and gave her a slight nod. "This is sounding familiar now, correct?"

"Y-yes." She glanced towards Steph, to Rachel and Chloe, to Courtney, and back to Victoria. "So, I dropped?"

"I believe so. Or, you got very close to it. If it wasn't for you finding your friends," Victoria nodded towards Steph, "things likely would've been a lot more harsh.

"I believe that I put you into sub space. It was completely unintentional but that's no excuse. As a Domme, it was my responsibility to look after you, to make certain you came back to Earth, so to speak, safe and sound. But because I didn't catch the signs, because I panicked, I abandoned you. Left you alone. I failed in my duty. What happened to you was completely my fault."

Max fiddled with the edge of the blanket. This was an awful lot to take in. "How did this happen, then? What causes subs to go into sub space? And why did you leave me?"

"I'm honestly not entirely certain how I put you there," Victoria admitted, "though what it takes to go into sub space also varies from person to person. Some need impact play. Spankings and the like," she clarified, seeing Max blink in confusion at the phrase. "Others only need overwhelming sensory input. I believe you might fall into that category because I wasn't just kissing you. I was dominating you. You were overwhelmed by what I was doing and slipped into sub space as a result."

"You were dominating me?"

"Yes."

"But, I always thought that dominating someone meant, like, beating them and ordering them around and stuff like that." Max then looked towards Rachel, Chloe, and Steph and ducked her head. "Sorry, I guess that sounds stupid."

Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly. "Stop that. Don't call yourself stupid just because you don't know something. I read your assignment write up. You're new to all of this, so of course you won't know about dominating, sub space, any of it." She nodded towards the pair seated on the bed. "I, your friends, Courtney, remember, all of us were once in precisely the same place you are now: completely and utterly new. Don't berate yourself."

Max looked down and nodded. "O-okay."

Victoria softened her voice once again. "When you get around to interviewing Courtney, I want you to ask her every question you can about being a sub, submitting, and what it's like to be dominated. Ask her what it was like when we first started off. I guarantee it will be an eye-opening experience." She turned to Courtney. "I give you permission to reveal as much as you're comfortable with."

Courtney blinked in surprise but didn't hesitate. "Yes, Mistress."

Victoria turned back to Max. "I, along with Steph and Rachel, possibly even Chloe, could spend hours talking about being a Domme and the different methods that can be used to dominate a sub. But for now, just know that there are a multitude of ways of doing so that don't require beatings and hard commands." She had a sudden thought. "Think back to your party and all the kisses you received. Can you tell me if anyone else there kissed you like I did?"

"Um, maybe?" was Max's reply as she gave Courtney a hesitant glance.

Victoria saw her trepidation and gave Max a gentle look. "It's okay. Courtney has already told me about her kiss with you. She's not in trouble and you admitting it won't upset me."

"Thank dog," Max said with a relieved sigh, then nodded. "But yeah, Courtney was the only one who came close."

"And did you react the same way?"

"No." Max's eyes widened in realization. "But she's a sub, like me."

"Precisely," Victoria agreed with a nod. "So it's entirely possible she couldn't take you there, regardless of how hard or long she kissed you. She may have topped you but she didn't dominate you. I did, and that made all the difference."

Which made sense, though Max wasn't entire certain what "topped" meant. Something for later.

"As to why I left you at all..." Victoria broke off and needed a moment to gather herself, which she covered up by crossing her legs in the other direction. "Like I said, dominating you was completely unintentional. When it occurred to me what had happened, what I was doing, I panicked. Because I nearly cheated on Courtney." She looked towards Courtney who was already looking up at her. "Courtney has been my sub for two years now. That entire time, through thick and thin, through failed and successful experimentation, we've always been faithful to each other." She reached a hand down and smiled when Courtney took it in hers. "She means the world to me. And through my foolhardy actions, I nearly betrayed her.

"So, I ran." Victoria looked back to Max, who was staring at the two in amazement. "In that moment, I wasn't Queen Bitch of Blackwell. I was a scared little girl who thought she had ruined everything with her sub forever. Not my proudest moment. Precisely the opposite, in fact. Because I lacked self-control, I almost took advantage of you, nearly ruined things with Courtney, and completely abandoned you when you needed a Domme the most. And I am so sorry."

Victoria fell silent, having said everything she needed to say. Despite her calm exterior, she wasn't ignorant of her audience. Part of her wanted to squirm, knowing her near-hated rival, her near-hated girlfriend, and Gingrich were all staring at her. Probably couldn't believe Victoria could eat this much crow in one sitting without choking on it. That was a deliberate choice on her part, though. She did wrong by Max; she apologized. She felt genuinely guilty about her actions and so, enduring some semi-private humiliation in the form of eye-witnesses was an appropriate part of her penance, she felt.

She watched as Max shifted, letting the blanket fall of her shoulders, and scooted forward on the couch to get closer to Victoria. Max licked her lips, meaning she was gearing herself up to say something, but her gaze was steady. "I accept your apology, Victoria. And, I forgive you."

Caught off-guard, Victoria blinked, as did most everyone else. That was... easy? Victoria cleared her throat. "Are you certain? You don't have to, after all."

"100% certain," Max replied, giving Victoria a small nod. "You came here to help when you didn't have to. You explained what happened, owned up to your mistake, and apologized for it. That means everything to me." She looked down at her hands. "It... When I first woke up, I was confused and scared. But more than that, I felt so dumb. I thought that maybe I had passed out because I couldn't handle your kiss. And you left me behind because you were so disgusted by me. Like, how terrible of a sub am I that I couldn't even handle one simple kiss?" She looked back up and gave Victoria a small smile. "So I'm glad that wasn't the case and maybe I'm not such a lost cause."

Before Victoria could reply to that, Courtney gave Victoria's hand a tiny squeeze, seeking permission. She returned the gesture, then watched as Courtney rose from her side and slid right next to Max on the couch.

"You're not a lost cause, Max," she began, taking Max's left hand into both of hers. "And you're not dumb. Please don't say that. You're just new at all of this and, perhaps, very sensitive to the dominating nature of Dommes, which would explain why you went into sub space so quickly. All this means is you might have to take things a bit slower when it comes to exploring your submissive side, and that's perfectly okay. Everyone learns differently and at different paces, for all sorts of different reasons." She gave Max's hand a squeeze. "I had to take things slow, too. And I'm ever-so grateful that Mistress was so patient and kind to me because now, I couldn't be happier."

The idea of Victoria being patient and kind to Courtney was immensely gratifying for Max to hear. It made her feel a lot better knowing that Victoria came to apologize, not just because it was the right thing to do, but because it was in her nature to help a sub in need. She smiled and gave Courtney's hand a return squeeze. "Thank you." She turned her smile to Victoria. "And thank you, too, for helping me."

Part of Victoria wanted to argue. Max shouldn't be thanking her, she should be furious! But, dammit, she was weak. So instead, she gave Max a small return smile. "You're most welcome."

Victoria uncrossed her legs in preparation to stand. Now that she'd apologized and (amazingly!) Max had forgiven her, it was time to leave. If it was just Max, Victoria might be tempted to stay, but not in Amber's room and not with Chloe present as well. "I believe this Queen has disrupted your life quite enough this weekend, so unless you'd like me to hang around, I will bid you a good night."

"Wait." Victoria calling herself a Queen made Max remember something from earlier, and she blinked in confusion. "Queen Bitch? _That's_ what the B stands for?"

Everyone in the room stared at Max, dumbfounded, while Chloe did her level best not to spoil the mood in the room by laughing herself sick. Max, though, could feel the stares and started shrinking into herself. Courtney and Steph noticed and both placed a comforting hand on Max's shoulders.

Victoria couldn't quite keep the amusement she felt from showing on her face, though she did manage to turn it into a smirk. "I've been a bitch ever since I can remember and certainly since I've been here at Blackwell. Courtney, tell her."

"An absolute bitch," Courtney agreed with a nod. She gave Max a grin. "Don't tell me you've never thought it yourself."

"Well, of course." When Max's brain caught up with her mouth, she whipped her head up, horrified. "I mean--"

Victoria raised a hand, silencing her. "Believe me, I'm not offended. I know what I am and how I behave." She lowered her hand and gave Max a look. "But now, I have to know: what did you think the B in Queen B actually stood for?"

"Bee, like a honey bee. You know, queen bee? I thought everyone called you that because you considered Blackwell your hive and everyone in it your workers."

Victoria felt a warm smile growing on her face and, for once, did nothing to prevent it. "Thank you. That's incredibly sweet of you to say."

"Incredibly stupid, you mean," Max muttered to herself.

"Again, you're being too hard on yourself. You came it a very logical conclusion that fit every fact available to you and, unlike some assumptions I've heard from others, yours actually makes sense." She reached forward and placed a hand atop Max's, drawing the hipster's attention. "Don't call yourself stupid. Not in my presence. Ever again."

Max gulped. Victoria's face was friendly but her tone... "I won't," she whispered.

Victoria nodded, gave Max's hands a gentle squeeze, then stood, Courtney joining her a moment later. "One last thing, Max."

"Yes?"

"Don't be alone tonight." She motioned towards Steph, then Rachel and Chloe. "Stay with a friend or friends. Sub drop can last minutes, hours, or even longer. Some have even reported being absolutely fine after a scene, only to crash several days later. Like space, it's different for everyone. I don't want you to take any chances. So, stay close to someone tonight and perhaps tomorrow as well, at the very least."

"I will. Um, if they're okay with it?" she said uncertainly, looking towards her friends.

"Of course we are," Steph replied, placing a warm hand on Max's shoulder, while both Chloe and Rachel nodded in agreement.

"Excellent," Victoria said. "Remember, if you start experiencing drop symptoms again, the confusion, feeling lonely or abandoned, find a friend right away. Tomorrow, Monday, anytime. Don't think you can muscle your way through it or that you might be a bother to them. Go to them and ask them for help." She looked at Courtney, then gave Max a meaningful look. "Trust me on this."

"I will," Max repeated, then smiled. "Thanks so much. Both of you."

"You're welcome," Courtney said with a smile. She stepped forward and leaned down to give Max a warm hug. "Have a good night, Max."

"You, too." Max returned the hug and, when Courtney stood upright, gave Victoria a small wave. "Both of you."

Victoria gave Max a small nod in reply and, with Courtney in tow, left the room.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author would like to take this moment to remind all their wonderful readers that this is a work of fiction, so if you've actually experienced sub space and/or sub drop IRL and everything in this chapter sounds like utter and complete shit, please, I beg of you, have mercy.
> 
> Believe it or not, the idea of Victoria's accidental domination of Max putting our shy heroine into sub space was always in the cards. Even before I figured out Max's sub role, I wanted something like this in the story, even if it was horrifically inaccurate. However, when I did discover Max's role, this moment became critical and one of the largest hints to the characters themselves of Max's role, before the final reveal.
> 
> Responding to the comments of new reader chloeandmax4ever allowed me to go back and re-examine Victoria and Courtney's relationship with one another, and remember the journey I took getting them to where they are now. I think I mentioned this in an earlier note or comment but Courtney and Victoria are extremely dedicated to one another and do love one another, though for personal reasons, neither has used the word "love" just yet. Maybe this will happen in the course of the fic, maybe not, but now you, my wonderful readers, know the unmitigated truth.
> 
> The drugging thing Rachel mentioned is my little shout-out to the Tempest event in Before the Storm. Different play, though, and different circumstances. The idea I have is both of them tried and failed to get the other to back out of whatever the play was and got pissed. Being the petty and immature individuals they were, they wound up slipping a drug into one another's drinks, which rendered both unable to perform. The play continued without them and because it still went off without a hitch (Steph was scrambling like mad, though), Mr. Keaton saw no reason to get Principal Wells involved, figuring the humiliation of knowing each fell for the other's dirty trick punishment enough. Neither Victoria nor Rachel has forgiven the other nor taken any responsibility for what happened and so, neither is sending the other Christmas cards. A lot of the hate has died down, though, due to the amount of time that's passed since then.
> 
> Technically speaking, chapters 29, 30, and 31 could all be lumped into one large chapter but even I was caught off-guard by the sheer size of everything. We're talking about 4400 words in the last chapter, a bit over 7k in this one, and a still-unknown number in the next (I'm still writing it). Gah! But know that the next chapter will be quite fluffy. I feel Max, and others, deserve it.


	31. Coda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shout-out to KuroAkaShiro_26, chloeandmax4ever, joelzeud, jennyfunzone, ancb19, lancethewriter, Azugirl, Skywlk3r, OldEmeraldEye, Sloane_Black, Vertiser, candancejade, kamenhero25, theunusualsuspect, DarkWolf300, Sanddunnes, Sikto, Aloistian, WorldTerrorMan, SombrasInferno, tombot, ThisAddiction, Flying_Pinneaple, LeanMeanSaltineMachine, SenHajime, MininSnow, PricelessTime, Release_The_KraCan, Ilyssa, gorillas_infinity, gnurd, samua5, MishaGrevink, Minx666Magma, SpeerZack, Yuri_Queen, ajs72691, Stretch802, dirrfty, VRBG, ranmagirl, simpletextadventure, DecadentLily, Mdama09, Rhumsie, ElectricFuneral, GrumpyCat42, RiotWrrrld, cedi, LanelLabatDubelais, saul12347, and st2439, along with 117 anonymous readers for leaving Kudos!!
> 
> Special shout-out to candancejade; cedi; chloeandmax4ever; Gnarled_Bone; gorillas_infinity; GrumpyCat42; jennyfunzone; lancethewriter; LanelLabatDubelais; lucemon22; Mdama09; MininSnow; MishaGrevink; MusicLover88; Release_The_KraCan; RiotWrrrld; Rouven_Auge_des_Sturms_Singer; Sikto; simpletextadventure; SomBrat; Someone+of+Brazil; st2439; Stretch802; Taylor; TheCortex; tombot; Vertiser; A very happy customer; WorldTerrorMan; and Xemtlenc for leaving comments!!
> 
> Despite the chapter title, **THIS IS NOT THE END!** I just felt an overwhelming urge to thank all of you for reading, liking, and commenting on my little story. Even if you haven't left a kudo or comment or anything, thank you!

Once Victoria and Courtney had left, Max turned to the rest of the room. She wasn't quite certain what to do or say next, if anything, and was kind of waiting for someone else to take the lead.

Fortunately for her, Chloe broke the ensuing silence first by huffing out a loud breath. "Well, shit. I suppose this means I don't get to kick her ass after all."

Everyone else laughed at that, with Rachel wrapping her arms around Chloe's middle. "Sorry, babe. Not this time."

"Probably not anytime," Chloe grumbled in response. "Seriously, if Bitch-toria was willing to apologize to you," she stated, looking towards Max, "then I doubt she'll ever do anything else heinous enough to warrant me introducing my fists to her face."

"I think that's a good thing," Max said in response. "When Dana and I were talking earlier, she told me you got expelled for fighting. If you got into another fight, now, they'd probably bar you from ever coming back on campus ever. Maybe even arrest you."

"Dana told you that, huh?" Steph asked.

Max nodded. "Yeah. She said she didn't know exactly why there was a fight but said it was with Logan." She looked at Chloe, impressed despite herself. "And that you won. Seriously, though, how the hell? That guy is huge!"

"He wasn't as big three years ago," Chloe said with a shrug. "He was was still bigger than me, though puberty hadn't quite finished with him yet, so it was a lot more even. Definitely wasn't as light on his feet. And unlike him, I knew how to fight."

"Were you... getting into a lot of fights back then?" The possibility that Chloe was saddened Max quite a bit.

Fortunately, Chloe's reply eased her worries. "Nah, nothing like that. Step-douche had taught me a lot of self-defense techniques, even dragged me to the gym to teach me boxing and some mixed martial arts, too. Wanted me to be able to defend myself if someone tried to mess with me the next time I snuck out of the house in the middle of the night instead of staying in bed, safe, where I belonged."

Max blinked. "Wowsers. He didn't try to stop you?"

"Oh, he did. Even tried grounding me. Nothing worked so rather than continue to beat his head against a brick wall, he tried something completely different. Joyce didn't like the idea of me getting combat training but liked the idea of me getting hurt even less, so she allowed it. I only agreed since it was a perfectly legal opportunity to punch him in the face. Never could manage to do that, though. He may have the ugliest fucking mustache this side of old porn movies but he's a former combat instructor for the Army, so he knows his shit."

Max could believe it. Unlike the other two security guards she'd seen, David looked quietly competent, like he'd have no problems chasing you down if he wanted to. Or breaking your face. "I take it this means you don't actually hate him?"

Chloe sighed and smirked in her usual way. "No. I thought I did for the longest time, him and Joyce both, but what I actually hated was the situation and was taking it out on targets of convenience." She tapped the side of her head. "Therapist, in case you're wondering." She leaned forward in her seat. "Part of the problem was Joyce and he got married so soon after dad died and it tore me up. To me, it was like she was trying to bury his memory as well as his body. It took me a long time to understand that Joyce's type of sub needs firm guidance and direction, something that dad provided. When he died, she completely fell apart. She had no safety net, could barely function. David, he's not the same kind of Dom dad was but he provides that guidance. He's good for her."

Chloe smiled when Rachel suddenly wrapped her arms around her waist, giving Chloe a comforting hug. She pulled Rachel closer and reciprocated. "Maybe I wouldn't've hated David so much if they had just dated for a while but, knowing me back then, probably not. The short version: I don't hate him, he doesn't hate me, and we both bonded over throwing a vicious right hook. Logan's nose didn't care for it, that's for sure."

Max grinned, the mental image of Chloe taking Logan out pleasing her more than she could admit. "Gotcha."

Steph gave Max's shoulders a squeeze, drawing her attention. "How're you feeling now?"

That was usually a pretty loaded question for her, so Max gave it some thought. How did she feel? Safe. Here, in Rachel's room, with Steph right by her side, Chloe and Rachel close, it was hard not to feel safe and secure. Warm. And not just because of the blanket. More like an inner warmth, the kind that comes from knowing your friends have your back. Less confused. Victoria explaining what happened helped considerably in that department. Loved. Three of her friends were right here, continuing to watch out for her. Victoria and Courtney had stopped in to help, too. How could she not love that?

She looked up and gave Steph a soft smile. "Good. I'm feeling good. You guys make me feel so safe and warm, and as unexpected as it was to have Victoria show up with Courtney, it helped so much."

"I'm glad," Rachel replied. "And to maintain that safe and warm feeling, you're spending the night with all of us."

"All of us?" asked Max.

"All of us," Chloe answered, with a nod from Steph.

"As shocking as it was for Victoria to show up," Steph continued, "her advice was sound. You definitely shouldn't be alone tonight and probably tomorrow as well, just to be safe. So tonight, you'll be here, with us. We'll work out tomorrow's thorny details when it gets here but I'm thinking study groups or doing homework together might do the trick."

"I like it," Chloe nodded. "I can easily go back to the house tomorrow, grab my books, and bring them here. And I'm sure Kate and maybe Dana wouldn't mind getting in on this, too."

"Um, just don't go out of your way too much," Max said, shifting in her seat. "I don't want you to ruin any plans you have because of me."

"The only plans I ever have on Sundays is homework and sex," Rachel replied, grinning when Max turned beet red.

"You don't have to study that part, though," Steph said with a laugh.

"Unless your special assignment depends on it, anyway," Chloe added, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Are there any labs or demonstrations needed?"

"No, nope, nada, uh-uh," Max replied with a rapid shake of her head. "In fact, Miss Carter specifically wrote the assignment in such a way to emphasize that no, um, 'interactions' were required."

"Not required, perhaps, but also not forbidden, right?"

Max's mouth went dry as she realized Rachel was, in fact, correct. "Uh…"

Steph figured now was a perfect time to introduce Rachel's face to the pillow next to her. She didn't chuck it hard, though, just enough to get Rachel to duck and break eye contact with the blushing Max. "Enough of that now or else I'll steal Max away to my room."

Rachel grinned. "Fine, fine. But I tell you what: why don't you take Max back to her room and get her pillow and blanket, and maybe her toothbrush, then head back." She looked at Max. "Feel free to bring your camera and any snacks you'd like to share. We're going to have a slumber party."

Part of Max wanted to argue. She didn't need anything special, after all. But, it was a tiny part. The rest of her smiled, that sense of warmth from before returning with a vengeance. "That sounds so great. Thank you so much."

"Absolutely, Max Factor."

It didn't take long at all for Max and Steph to gather the necessary supplies, Max putting the smaller stuff in her messenger bag along with her D/S folder and notebook (she wanted to jot down a couple of things that Victoria mentioned) and the snacks that Victoria gave her as a present. She also turned off her stereo since she wouldn't be around to listen to it. But when they returned, Max was surprised to see that Chloe and Rachel had removed the mattress from the bed and placed it on the floor, side by side with the thick couch/futon mattress, and was in the process of adding several sheets to the whole thing, forming one giant bed.

Just like this morning, when she entered the common room and encountered a surprise birthday party waiting for her, Max could feel herself getting really emotional. The thought of all four of them snuggling up together in one big pile was super appealing right about now. "You guys~" she said with a loud sniff. Dog, could her friends be any more perfect?

Rachel and Chloe stepped up and, along with Steph, wrapped their arms around Max in a giant hug. "We want to watch out for you," Rachel said. "And we figure closeness is key to making sure you don't crash and making you feel safe and secure. If it turns out to be too much touching, though, we'll adjust."

"None of us snore," Chloe added, "if you're worried about that. And Rachel doesn't kick as long as she's snuggled up to me, so you'll be safe there."

"You're our friend. You're so important to us. And we absolutely want to help." Steph smiled. "I can't think of a more pleasant way of doing that than a whole lot of cuddling."

Max sniffed again and nodded. It was almost too much. Almost. But, dog, she felt so good. "Thanks so much," she whispered.

Chloe stepped back but looked down at Max's bag when she heard some plastic crinkle. "Ooo, you brought snacks?"

Max wiped at her eyes and smiled. "As a matter of fact, I did." She set the bag down on Rachel's desk and withdrew the small cellophane bag of the _stroopwafels_ Victoria had gotten her. "I have other stuff, too, but these are fresh made and Victoria said I should eat them soon. They were a birthday present but I want share them with my best friends."

"Sweet, dude!"

"What are they?" Steph asked.

"I really don't know," Max shrugged, then grinned. "So why don't we find out together?"

Chloe clapped her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! C'mon, have a seat," she said, plopping herself down on the futon mattress. "Let's get this party started!"

And with the addition of Rachel's stereo, volume turned down a bit, of course, the four of them curled up with one another and proceeded to have one more party.

 

* * *

 

Several minutes after their impromptu meeting in Rachel's room, Victoria and Courtney finished their bathroom rituals and were curled up against each other on Courtney's couch.

Victoria glanced at her sub and let out a long, slow breath. "Hell of an evening."

"It certainly was, Mistress," Courtney said with a nod.

"Thank you for being here despite my idiocy."

"Don't do that, Mistress."

"Do what?"

"Punish yourself further." Courtney lifted her head and looked Victoria in the eyes. "You've apologized and the two people who were affected, me and Max, have forgiven you." She settled back down and snuggled into Victoria's embrace. "So, it's over and done with now. Plus, I don't like it when people speak ill of my Mistress, especially when it's my Mistress." It was a bad habit of Victoria's when they were in private, one Courtney had been slowing working at to get her to stop. She's never asked but she suspected Victoria picked up the habit thanks to her parents.

Victoria, in the meantime, sighed. It was possibly the only thing that Courtney ever argued with her about, though "argue" was too strong of a word. More like, quietly insisted upon, which, for Courtney, was the equivalent of shouting in her ear through a megaphone. She brushed a hand down Courtney's shoulder. "I'll try to remember that."

"Thank you, Mistress."

Tilting her head down, Victoria kissed the top of Courtney's head. "Feel like watching something? Your choice."

"But Mistress," Courtney said a slight whine, "the remotes are all the way over there."

Both Domme and sub looked towards the coffee table and the TV remote resting there, all of three feet away. Victoria smirked. "Yes, such a long and arduous journey to turn on the idiot box."

Courtney nodded her head. "Too much. I'd much rather snuggle with my Mistress. She feels so good."

"That's the silk talking."

"No. If the silk was talking, I wouldn't be."

Victoria reached down and plucked at the cotton fabric of the Sailor Uranus sleepshirt Courtney still wore. "Maybe I should make you wear my robe as punishment for picking this shirt and revealing it to Amber." She smirked as Courtney froze in her arms. "I wouldn't be that cruel to you, not this late in the evening."

Courtney let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mistress." She bit her bottom lip, suddenly nervous. "I didn't... humiliate you, did I?"

"No, of course not," Victoria replied with a shake of her head. "Yes, Rachel knows, and that's not ideal, but I know her. Unfortunately. She'll keep that little tidbit to herself. All that will likely come of it is Caulfield thinking you like anime."

"If she asks, I'll simply say I wore the shirt because it reminds me of you." Courtney lifted her head again and smiled. "Tall, blonde, hot, lesbian, and total ass-kicker." She grinned when Victoria chortled. She loved it when she got her Mistress to laugh.

"Good one, Court. I like it." Victoria gave her sub a warm smile. "Shall we head to bed, then?"

"Yes, please."

The pair rose and shared a long, gentle kiss. When they separated, Victoria doffed her robe, hanging it inside Courtney's armoire, and made her way to the bed. She sat on the edge and watched as Courtney went about her nightly ritual: closing the blackout curtains, making sure the door was secured, draping a sheet over the electronics to block their tiny lights, turning on her nightlight, then turning off the main light, plunging the room in near darkness. When she came over to the bed, Victoria rose and stepped aside, allowing Courtney to fold down the blanket and sheet, run her hands along the fitted sheet beneath, and carefully fluff both pillows. Courtney crawled into bed first and laid on her side, back to the wall, facing the room. Victoria joined her and laid on her back, then waited for Courtney to pull both the sheet and blanket up to cover the both of them.

Once that was finished, Victoria reached an arm out towards Courtney. An invitation. Her sub shifted over and carefully curled into her side, wrapping one leg over hers. Courtney settled into place and let out a soft, content sigh. "Thank you for sleeping with me, Mistress."

"You're most welcome, Court." There wasn't a night that went by that Courtney didn't thank her for this. Such simple a thing, yet it meant so much to her. And truth be told, it meant a lot to Victoria, as well.

Courtney brushed hand over the soft cotton of Victoria's top and smiled gently. "I don't believe I ever thanked you, Mistress, for making the switch to cotton sleep clothes."

Victoria gave a slight shrug. "It was the least I could do for you." Courtney had never requested it, had never complained, but once it occurred to Victoria that her sub's synesthesia never turned off, she realized that some of her previous sleep attire were comprised of materials could jar her sub wide awake if she brushed up against them in her sleep. Cotton, though, was a nearly neutral texture for her, meaning it caused the least distractions. Hence, the reason why her sheets and the majority of her clothing was made from it. "Plus, these are extremely comfortable. Silk may be fashionable but it can make me sweat, and no one wants to snuggle up to a hot, sweaty, queen bee, right?"

Courtney giggled. "Perhaps I should start wearing black and yellow striped shirts and a deely bobber, and make buzzing noises while following you around campus."

Victoria snorted in amusement. "Do that and I'll do what I did to you Wednesday: strap that toy to you and make you twitch all day." They both agreed it had been a rather successful test run, being out in a semi-public environment, Victoria controlling the bluetooth vibrator via her phone. "You'll certainly be buzzing except this time, I'll make you wear silk panties to hold it in place."

Courtney eyes widened at Victoria's evil grin. "Sorry, Mistress. Forget I ever said anything."

"I won't. But thank you for the idea." Victoria watched Courtney gulp nervously and relaxed her expression. "Shh," she hushed her sub, pulling her close. "I'd never do that to you unless I thought you could handle it."

"I... don't know if I ever could, Mistress. It's silk."

"Then not outside. Perhaps here, in the privacy of your room."

Courtney thought about it, about the potential sensations that combination would cause, the quivering mess she'd become, and shivered. "Perhaps," she agreed, nodding slowly.

"Good. When you're ready, I'll ask you to put on a fashion show, try on a few styles of silk panties, so we can find just the right color and fit for you." She smirked again. "Might take several tries before I'm satisfied."

Courtney licked her lips. "Of course, Mistress."

"But, that's enough planning for the future for now." Victoria tilted her head down and gave her still-nervous sub a deep, sweet kiss, delivered wonderfully slow. She could feel the tension drain from Courtney until she was completely relaxed in her arms. When they broke apart, they took a moment to gaze into each other's eyes, a soft smile on their faces. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Victoria asked quietly. "Any thoughts that occurred to you during the day that you haven't mentioned yet?"

"Nothing comes to mind, Mistress," Courtney replied after a moment.

"Then, it's time to relax. Close your eyes, listen to the sound of my breathing, and let yourself drift away. I'm right here. Not going anywhere."

Courtney nodded again and obeyed. It took a while, sleep always did, but here, snuggled against her Mistress, enveloped in the soft cotton of her sheets, safe, secure, and warm, she eventually fell into a peaceful slumber.

 

* * *

 

An hour after Max left, Dana was finally feeling better and a lot more collected. She was still hurting, a week wasn't nearly long enough to heal everything, but Juliet being with her helped so much, made Dana's burden feel so much lighter. "Thanks, Jules. I think I needed this a lot more than I thought."

Juliet, seated next to her, gave her back a slow rub. "Always. You know that."

Dana used a wash cloth to wipe at her face, having run out of tissues. Thank God she was never a messy crier. "Still, part of me is irritated that you were listening in on us."

"A really tiny part, though, right?" Juliet asked with an apologetic smile.

Dana sighed. She really couldn't stay mad at Juliet. "Microscopic," she said with a tiny smile of her own.

Juliet nodded, relieved. "If it's any consolation, I wasn't there very long. Just from 'hetero-flexible' onward." She placed a hand atop Dana's. "I'm just sorry I didn't know what happened sooner. But I also heard you explain to Max why you didn't and, sadly, I can see your point. I probably wouldn't have helped the way you needed."

"It wasn't just that," Dana explained. "I also didn't want to go through all the bullshit of no one believing me."

"I believe you. I would've believed you last week, too."

"I know you would," Dana said, bumping Juliet's shoulder with hers. "I had no doubts about that. Zero. But, if you knew, and had told Zach to get him to do something to Logan, would he believe it? Or would he side with his friend and teammate?"

"I..." Juliet thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Shit."

"Exactly."

Juliet sighed. "I'd like to think I wouldn't have said anything without consulting you first but I'm also aware I'm a bit of a hothead. And thinking about it more, I can't think of a way I could've let Zach know something was up with Logan that wouldn't immediately implicate you."

Dana nodded. "I didn't want you to be put in a weird spot with Zach. I know you like him. And saying anything would mess that up."

"I may like him, but I love you." Juliet gave Dana's hands a squeeze. "Boyfriends come and go, but semi-platonic soulmates are forever."

Dana snorted but couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. " _Semi_ -platonic?"

"Obviously, considering our rather sordid past," Juliet answered with a wide grin. "We know each other so well, we might as well be twins, except I probably know more about your tits than your doctor, especially how sensitive they become when--"

"I get it, I get it!" Dana let out a laugh. "No need to convince me."

Juliet grinned, glad that Dana was feeling better. She stood and held out a hand, helping Dana rise as well. "Here, grab your basket. I'll meet you in the bathroom, we'll get cleaned up, and I'll join you for bed."

Dana smiled. "That sounds great, actually." Sleeping together with Juliet sounded perfect right now.

A short time later, teeth brushed and flossed, mouthwash gargled, face washed, hair brushed and scrunchied, lotion applied, and, in Dana's case, eye drops used (they were really red from all the crying), the pair found themselves nearly ready for bed. Juliet was fiddling with the stereo, putting on something soft and soothing while Dana sat at the edge of her bed, debating something with herself. Coming to a decision, she lifted her head and looked at her friend. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"I know we're getting ready for bed but I'd like you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

Dana licked her lips. "Can you tie me up?"

Juliet paused a moment, then pressed play on the stereo. Extremely faint piano music began emitting from the tiny speakers. She turned and sat next to Dana. "Are you sure you want me to? I don't want you to push yourself too hard, too soon."

"I know. But..." Dana cleared her throat. "I don't want what happened with Logan to take away something that I enjoy so much. I feel safe with you and I trust you." She gave Juliet a small grin. "My semi-platonic soulmate."

Juliet returned the grin, then looked into Dana's eyes, looking for any sign of apprehension. Finding none, she nodded. "Okay, I'll do it." She lifted a finger. "But something pretty simple, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Juliet rose from the bed went to the dresser where Dana kept all of her bondage gear. She grabbed a small coil of nylon rope, the blue tape on the ends marking it for forearm and wrist use, as well as the safety scissors. When she turned back, she saw Dana had stood and turned her back towards her, wrists crossed behind her back. Juliet smiled but rather than start tying right away, she instead gently turned Dana around to face her.

"No. Even simpler than that. Wrists in front." She raised her hand to halt the inevitable protest. "I know you can handle a whole lot more but I refuse to put you into anything too elaborate. What if your bondage triggers a nightmare? I might not be able to wake up and get you out fast enough before you hurt yourself. I'm not risking it." She put her hands on her hips and gave her a stern look. "Don't make me pull the Domme card here," she said in her patented Mega-Domme voice.

Dana rolled her eyes at the exaggerated voice but did give Juliet's words serious consideration. After a moment, she sighed. "You're right. I'm trying to rush things. Sorry."

"Hey now, none of that." Voice back to normal, Juliet wrapped her arms around Dana. "It's okay. You're okay. It's not a race. Healing takes time. Everything at your own pace. Just know that no matter how long it takes, I'll be here."

Dana nodded, grateful for her friend, her patience, and understanding. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Juliet let go and took a step back. "Now, take a seat and give me your hands." Once Dana complied, Juliet began wrapping the rope around Dana's wrists, careful not to pinch the delicate skin there. She worked methodically, not wanting to rush this or give Dana any bad flashbacks to Logan and his stupidity. She paused when she heard Dana's breath hitch, continuing only when Dana looked her in the eyes and gave her the go ahead.

"I'm not messing around with any safewords here," Juliet stated, securing the final knot. "You want out, you need out, just say so and you're free." She placed both hands atop Dana's bound ones. "If I get the impression something's going wrong, if I think you're having a bad moment, I'm freeing you, too. No questions. Okay?"

"Okay."

Juliet nodded, then started examining Dana's hands and fingertips carefully. "How's it feel? Any unusual tightness, any tingling, anything pinching or catching that I can't see?"

Dana tested her bonds, pulled gently at her wrists, and shook her head. "No. It's perfect."

"Good," Juliet said with a soft smile, then placed the safety scissors in Dana's hands. "Here. I want you to show me you can use these with no difficulty."

"Sure." Dana reversed the scissors in her grip, easily working them open and closed. She pushed them towards herself and, thanks to the way Juliet bound her wrists together, demonstrated she could quickly reach the ropes and cut herself loose if need be.

"Excellent." Juliet took the scissors and placed the on the end table nearest the bed. "These will be right here for you, should you need them. But please, don't hesitate to ask me for anything. And yes, I know that with your hands in front, you're not handicapped in the slightest, but still. I'm here for you. Okay?"

"Okay." Dana clenched her hands into fists, tugged on the ropes again, and found herself smiling. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of secure, yet comfortable, bondage. Juliet was so damn good with tying. "I've missed this. Thanks for doing this for me."

"Of course. I know how much you like it."

Juliet stepped away and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. The only illumination provided came from the face of the stereo and whatever filtered in from the outside street lamps. Together, the two crawled into bed, Juliet bringing up the sheet and blanket to cover them both. They lay on their side, Dana being little spoon, Juliet wrapping one arm around Dana's waist.

Dana sighed, content. This. This intimacy was what she had been missing the past week. She didn't think she could ask Juliet like she normally would because of all the crap that had happened but, having her here, now, felt good. She smiled as she felt Juliet's lips on the back of her neck. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who missed this. "How're you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Real good. Been a while since we've done this. Feels right, y'know?"

Dana nodded. "Yeah."

"I still wish I could do more for you," Juliet whispered.

"You suggesting this, being here with me now, means the world to me. I don't think I can thank you enough."

"You don't have to, you know that. Buuuuuuuut," Juliet drawled out the word, "if you feel the need, I wouldn't mind a good night kiss."

Dana turned over to face Juliet and grinned. "Such a scandal. Two hotties in the same bed, kissing, while one of them is dating the quarterback. How will Blackwell ever recover?"

"He already knows we share a bed every now and then," Juliet replied. "He just thinks I'm using you to scratch my Domme itch rather than visit a clinic, like he does." She smirked. "I think he'd be massively disappointed to know the truth."

"Probably."

Juliet brought Dana's bound hands up and cupped them in her own, entwining their fingers together. "But the real truth is, I'm here for you. I know I keep saying that but it keeps being true. Whatever you need, just let me know, okay?"

Instead of replying immediately, Dana slowly raised her bound hands above her head, taking Juliet's hands with her. She leaned forward and gave Juliet a slow, loving kiss. When they separated, their smiles were brighter than the stars in the sky.

"Okay. And thank you."

"You're welcome." Juliet gave Dana one last peck, then helped her resume her little spoon position. She snuggled right up to her and sighed, content. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams."

 

* * *

 

It was approaching 11:00 in the evening when the occupants of Rachel's room, now all attired in appropriate sleep clothing, finally turned in for the night. Well, Max did, anyway. She just didn't have the stamina to stay up late, unlike the others, and coupled with the fact that she got piss-poor sleep the previous night meant she was definitely the evening's first casualty.

Steph was the one to escort Max to the restroom where business was taken care of and teeth were brushed. Quietly, she thought sleepy Max was fucking adorable. And cuddly. Max couldn't help but lean against Steph as they walked down the halls, giving her a tired smile even as she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands. "Thanks for helping. I really, really, appreciate it."

"Really, really?" Steph asked with a grin.

Max nodded. "Really, really. So much." This close together, her hand brushed against Steph's as they walked. Without thinking, Max took hold of Steph's hand and entwined their fingers together. "You're so nice to me. My newest best friend. One day old today." She giggled softly.

Steph's heart leapt to her throat when Max took her hand. It took her a moment to recover and reply. "I'm glad you're my friend. You're so sweet. And so cute." It was risky, she felt, admitting it again, but Max was so tired, Steph doubted she would remember tomorrow. And it felt good to say aloud.

Max shook her head several times. "Nuh-uh. Not cute. Not like you and Chloe and Rachel and Kate…" She blinked when the two stepped through Rachel's doorway and into the darkened room. "Um, and you and Dana and Juliet and Brooke and Victoria…" Max let out a mighty yawn, covering her mouth with their joined hands as Steph closed the door behind them. She smacked her lips gave Steph a wide, somnolent, smile. "And you and Taylor and Courtney and Stella and Alyssa. But." Max poked Steph in the shoulder. "Don't let them know I said that."

"Oh?" Steph was fighting a huge grin and didn't think her face was conveying the proper amount of seriousness Max seemed to be trying to portray herself, but she doubted Max was going to notice. "And why's that?"

"'Cuz it'll be embarrassing." Max dropped her toothbrush in her bag. "And it doesn't matter anyway. Just one dumb hipster's opinion," she said with a shrug.

Steph's face fell. Even utterly exhausted and ready to fall on her face, Max insulted herself. She forced a smile back on her face for Max's benefit. "I'm pretty sure they'd love to hear it from you, though. How cute they are. Maybe we should walk down the hall and knock on everyone's door and tell them," she suggested. "It's still your birthday, you're allowed to visit."

"Nononononono…." Max shook her head again as Steph guided her to sit on the futon mattress. "No one can know, Steph. No one."

Steph nodded as she sat as well. "Okay, then. We won't say anything."

"Thanks." Max smiled and leaned over to give Steph a huge hug, nearly falling over in the process. "Oops! Sorry."

"Perfectly okay," Steph chuckled. "But let's get you under the covers."

"Okay." Max laid down and lifted her arms, letting Steph pull the covers up to almost her chin. She dropped her arms onto the blanket with a soft giggle. "You're so nice. Everyone was so nice to me. Such a great birthday. I'll remember it forever and ever. Tomorrow will be different but today was so great."

Steph blinked. "And why's that?"

Max laid her arms across her chest atop the blanket, then closed her eyes, still smiling. "Tomorrow's not my birthday anymore. No reason for anyone to be nice to my lame self starting tomorrow. But at least… I had… today……" And with a deep, contented sigh, she was out like a light.

Steph took a moment to just look at Max. That she had such a great and memorable birthday, spent nearly all day surrounded by so many friends and friendly faces, and _still_ had such a fundamental belief that no one would care tomorrow saddened her in a way she didn't think was possible. She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "I take it you heard all of that?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Chloe replied with a nod, Rachel right beside her. Max, tired as she was, didn't notice either of them, seated as they were in the shadows. "When Max is exhausted, she gets loopy and her filters turn off. She becomes super honest. It can be hysterical."

"But not tonight."

Chloe glanced at Rachel, then back to Steph. "No," she said with a slow shake of her head. "Not tonight."

"Has she always been like this?" Steph asked.

"Not when we were kids. She was quiet, sure, and always looked towards me for direction, but she had a huge sense of humor and would always make me laugh." Chloe suddenly grinned. "She had a knack for drawing, too. I'd spout all sorts of weird ideas out loud and the next thing I knew, she'd draw a comic about it. It was awesome to see all that stuff come to life."

"Then, maybe she changed when she moved away," Steph speculated.

Chloe let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I'm thinking so, too. And not for the better."

Rachel slid her hand into Chloe's and gave it a squeeze. "I know you don't like thinking about that time, babe. You don't have to bring it up now."

"I know, but I've already talked about it out loud before, given it substance so it could be dealt with. Saying it out loud, again, it'll be okay." Chloe looked towards Steph and explained. "Max ghosted me for five years after she moved away. Barely a peep, even though she promised to stay in touch. It sucked. Bad. Especially right after dad died. After a while, I gave up on her. Even tried to hate her. But, thanks to you, thanks to Rach, thanks to the shrink, I dealt. Got over the pain and didn't completely spiral down. Took a while, I admit, and I don't regret getting expelled from this place before that happened."

She looked at Max. "I get the feeling Max never did. And it makes me feel shitty because it never occurred to me that she could've been hurting, too. I got so used to thinking that she was just living the dream in Seattle, too busy for her old friend, but looking at her now, how she's behaved ever since she came back, I can see I was wrong." Chloe shook her head again. "She apologizes for everything little thing, convinced it's all her fault, believes she bothers and annoys everyone, even her closest friends, and can't see the love and affection heaped in her direction because she doesn't think she deserves it."

"But she's also incredibly kind, forgiving, and passionate," Rachel pointed out. "She even gave Victoria, her number one bully, a second chance. She's sensitive to the moods of others and will always ask if she can help, if she can get them alone and sum up the courage to ask. She just doesn't think she deserves that help, herself."

A thought then occurred to Steph and she blinked. "Do you think she blames herself for moving away?" she asked. "Because that would explain a lot."

Chloe paused, then, after a long moment, groaned quietly. "Fuck, it would, wouldn't it." She ran her hands down her face. "Five fucking years. Yeah, I can see that, too: Max blaming herself every fucking day for five years straight. Shit."

Everyone fell silent as each wondered how painful it was for Max, if that really was the case, to carry that much pain and guilt around for that length of time. All by herself, too, because they knew for a fact she'd never talk to anyone about it. Max would consider that bothering someone with her problems and she'd rather eat broken glass than even contemplate burdening someone else.

Rachel eventually broke the silence. "Max deserves love. No matter who ultimately wins her heart, she deserves love."

"And she'll get it by the truckload," Chloe stated. "From now until the day I die, I swear to whatever gods exist I'll love this girl."

Steph nodded at the declaration. She'd only heard Chloe say those words twice before: once for Rachel, and once for Steph herself. Chloe wasn't fucking around or being melodramatic. She meant every word and woe be unto the person who doubted it. She reached out a hand and stroked Max's cheek with the back of her fingers. "My crush on her has grown so much in the past 24 hours. I don't think it's love. Not yet, anyway." She looked up and smiled. "But I'm looking forward to finding out."

"We'll tell her soon," Rachel concluded. "Tell her what we all talked about. Get her to know, to understand, and most importantly, get her to believe that we like her. That we're sweet on her. And she deserves to be loved."

Chloe glanced at Rachel. "Gonna get the Queen of Honey in on this discussion, too? 'Cause if she ain't crushing on Max, too, then I'll eat my boots."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Ugh!" Only the presence of a sleeping Max stopped her groan from being louder. "Why the hell did you have to bring that up now? I'd almost managed to pretend I didn't see all the signs."

"Yeah, ya jerk," Steph added. "You trying to give us all nightmares before snuggling up to Max?"

Chloe shot her hands up. "Dude, not my fault! Everyone knows! You'd have to be blind to not see it!"

"Or Max."

Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting into incredibly loud laughter. Chloe nodded and extended her fist. "Nice one. Walked right into it."

Steph fist-bumped Chloe, a slight grin on her face. "I try."

"I, unfortunately, know Victoria," Rachel stated once she managed to get control of herself. "She wouldn't want to join in on that sort of group discussion, but since I'll be seeing her tomorrow, I'll talk to her then."

"You seriously think she'd be good for Max?" Chloe asked. "'Cause crush or no crush, I can't see it."

"If you had asked me that two days ago, I would've said no. Now?" Rachel shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. Between the three of us, I don't like the idea, either, but I know how well she treats Courtney. What you saw tonight was just a hint of that. Maybe Max would benefit from the sort of firmness Victoria would grant. I certainly won't be giving her tips about how to win her but it wouldn't be right to interfere. That would be me taking the decision away from Max and I just can't do that."

Chloe sighed. "Damn you and your sense of personal choice."

"It's a curse," Rachel replied sagely. She grinned at Steph's amused snort. "What?"

"You know exactly what," Steph answered as she slid beneath the covers on Max's left. "But considering the hour and the fact I don't have my 3DS with me, I'm going to call it." She shifted and rolled to lay on her right side, then reached out to softly stroke her fingers through Max's bangs. "If you decide to do the nasty, please do us the courtesy of keeping the noise level down."

Rachel and Chloe looked at each other, quickly coming to a decision. "Actually, sleep sounds good right about now. Right, babe?"

"Yeah. Plus, gag or no gag, you can't be quiet for shit when we're doing the horizontal mambo."

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

Chloe and Rachel slid under the covers to Max's right, both laying on their left side with Rachel acting as little spoon. Being the closet of the two to Max, Rachel eased herself over and gave she slumbering girl soft kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Max," she whispered. "Starting tomorrow, we're going to prove that it doesn't need to be your birthday to shower you with love and affection."

"Damn straight," was Chloe's soft response.

Steph didn't say anything but, realizing that Max's left hand had fallen to her side, slowly reached forward with her left hand and carefully entwined their fingers together. She would later swear that Max's mouth twitched upwards at the gesture. It was more than enough to put a smile on Steph's face.

All four eventually drifted off to sleep. As the night wore on, each would inch closer and closer together until, in the wee hours of the morning, they truly were in a large, happy, poly pile. And in the dreams of one of them, cabin girl Max was only partially surprised to see that the crew of her pirate vessel had grown considerably since their last voyage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author would like to, again, take this moment to remind all their wonderful readers that this is a work of fiction, so please, don't go to sleep in any sort of bondage. The potential for injury is just too great. Remember, safe, sane, and consensual.
> 
> I wanted to end the day with a whole lot of cuddling. But, of course, when I start typing, what started off as a simple idea turned into a 7k word thing. I hope you don't mind!
> 
> David's changed a bit here for the story. I have no idea if he'll actually make an appearance in the story proper but making him not a complete fuckwit was something I'd been contemplating off and on since mentioning Joyce in an earlier chapter. He's still Blackwell security but is no longer a bully. And, I like the idea of him trying a really roundabout way of connecting with Chloe.
> 
> I've already started chapter 32 and have a clear idea of what happens next. There may be a time skip in the near-future, though. Not that I'm trying to rush things but here's my thinking:  
> Sunday morning: Max and Kate chat, Victoria and Rachel chat, Miss Carter makes a reappearance  
> Sunday afternoon: Miss Carter reads Max's e-mails from the weekend, starts getting some ideas on how to help Max further, Miss Carter sends out a mass e-mail to the student body, introducing a few new concepts to the story as a whole, the Vortex sends out their own mass e-mail, making an announcement  
> Monday or Tuesday: Miss Carter and Max have a follow-up meeting, Max's role is discovered  
> Thursday: Vortex party
> 
> There are some gaps here, some of which will likely get filled in as my fingers invent new stuff into the work. But the large set pieces are kind of spaced wide enough apart that I could easily jump forward a bit. We'll see how it goes. I just wanted to give you a bit of an idea of the current roadmap.
> 
> See you soon!


	32. Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone who got a shout-out last chapter, you are welcome! All of you deserve it just for dropping by and reading. I appreciate you all!

A metallic click roused Max partially awake. She turned her head from the light streaming in from the window and opened her eyes, blearily trying to figure out where she was and what woke her. She blinked as she watched Rachel, clad in a sleep shirt, step towards her dresser and, as quietly as possible, open one of the drawers.

Right. Rachel. Rachel's room. Slumber party. Sleep over. Max smiled softly to herself. Dog, that was so much fun and such a great ending to a great day. She didn't quite remember going to bed but had some vague images of being with Steph and getting tucked in, and feeling so loved. And here she was, in bed, with Steph and Chloe, while Rachel was _taking off her clothes?!_

Instantly, Max was awake, alert, and "intrigued." Rachel pulled the sleepshirt over her head, showing that no, she didn't wear a bra to bed, then stripped her panties down her legs, kicking them towards the hamper in the corner. Gloriously nude, she took hold of a fresh pair of panties and bent over at the waist, inadvertently giving Max a vision of her legs and bare ass. Rachel slowly drew them up her legs, adjusting the waistband with her thumbs, Max's eyes tracking every inch of movement. Rachel then stepped into a pair of electric blue leggings, tugging the skintight material up just as slowly, taking extra time to adjust them around her legs, hips, and waist, before finally running her hands down and up her legs, smoothing out the material.

Max licked her lips. Holy hell, those things looked practically sprayed on.

As she watched, Rachel sat on her desk chair and quickly put on a pair of ankle socks and running shoes. Max thought she was done until Rachel stood and cupped her still-bare breasts with both hands, giving them a sensual caress. Max was mesmerized, watching as Rachel gave her own breasts a slight squeeze, then tweaked her nipples between her thumb and forefingers. She tugged on them slightly, let go, then repeated the motion a few times, making them tantalizingly hard. She massaged her breasts a bit more, mimicking the movements that Max herself made the incredibly few times she's played with her own tits. A delectable eternity later, Rachel slipped into a sports bra, taking extra time to adjust the fit, then put on a t-shirt, finally covering herself.

Max gulped. Dog, that was incredibly arousing. It was like Rachel had accidentally given her a sensuous reverse striptease. It didn't occur to Max that no one getting dressed would ever do so that slowly, deliberately, or start fondling herself for no reason. Higher brain functions just weren't possible at the moment. Max squeezed her thighs together, more than aware of how damp she had become. But then, Rachel did something odd: she stopped and placed her hands on her hips. Max blinked. Judging by her stance, she was now facing towards Max. But that would mean...

…

...oh shit

Max felt all the color drain from her face as she slowly, very slowly, raised her eyes, heart hammering in her chest. When she finally reached Rachel's face, her worst fears were realized: Rachel was looking right at her. Max froze. She didn't see the teasing smirk or notice how that expression shifted to concern. She was too busy panicking. She was dead. Rachel was going to kill her. Rightfully so. Max had spent the last forever staring at her friend's naked body. She deserved to die. And if Rachel didn't do it, Chloe would. She trembled as Rachel stepped forward. This was it. Max clenched her eyes shut, turned her head away, and braced herself.

"Shh. Max. Max? It's okay, Max," Rachel whispered as she knelt next to the shy girl. "I'm not mad." Shit, fuck, Rachel had grossly misjudged Max's response if her petrified expression and body language was anything to go by. She placed a gentle hand on Max's shoulder. "Max? Can you hear me?" To her relief, Max nodded, though the movement was jerky, uneven. "Good. Listen carefully, Max: I'm not mad. You didn't do anything wrong. I promise." Rachel waited until Max cracked one eye open, then gave her a small smile. "I was just teasing you. I didn't think you'd get so upset, though. I'm really sorry about that."

Max opened both eyes and looked at Rachel, disbelief warring with trepidation. "...really?"

"Really." Making a snap decision, Rachel carefully eased herself down so she was, once again, laying on her side next to Max, though she remained on top of the covers. Victoria would just have to wait. "I was just getting dressed to go jogging when I noticed I had woken you up. So, I decided to have a bit of fun."

"How did you know I was up?" Max whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

"The mirror on the cabinet door," Rachel answered, pointing behind her with her thumb.

Max glanced over Rachel's shoulder and noticed that yes, there was a mirror there and the floor bed could be clearly seen. "Oh." Max could feel her face heat up. Fuck, how stupid was she? "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Rachel saw the sheer guilt and remorse on Max's face, saw her try to sink into the floor, and wasn't having any of it. She reached out a hand and carefully brushed her fingers through Max's bangs. "Why are you apologizing?"

Max blinked. Did Rachel seriously just ask her that? "B-because I just got done ogling you like some demented perv."

Rachel nodded. "And you didn't like what you saw?"

"Yes? I mean, no! I mean--" Max stopped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Then another. When she opened her eyes again, she was a lot less nervous and was able to hold her gaze. "You're teasing me again."

"Yep," Rachel said with a grin. "I don't like when you get super nervous or scared and figured distracting you might help." She gave Max a one-shoulder shrug. "It looked like it worked."

Max licked her lips, confusion writ on her face. "But why? Why try to help me when you should hate me?"

"I could never hate you, Max." Rachel brushed her fingers through Max's bangs again. "Ever. You're one of my best friends and I love you. Why would I hate you?"

"Because I was looking at you...?" Max said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Rachel shuffled closer and rested a hand on top of the blanket, over Max's stomach. "I'm going let you in a little secret: no one, and I mean absolutely no one, ever gets undressed when there are other people around unless they are prepared to get looked at. Even just a little bit. Period."

Max gave that some thought before slowly nodding. "Okay, I can maybe see that. But what I was doing wasn't looking. It was... um, more."

"Secret number two," Rachel continued. "No one, and I mean absolutely no one, ever gets naked in front of any potential witnesses unless they want to be checked out. Even sleeping people may wake up at any moment."

Max blinked, then realization struck. Her eyes went wide. "I--"

"Shh." Rachel placed a finger on Max's lips. "This is why I said I'm not mad and it's okay. Because no, I'm certainly not, and yes, it's perfectly okay." She lifted her finger and booped Max's nose. "I'm not really an exhibitionist, but I do like showing bits of myself off at times. I like when you look at me and I like making you turn red, I admit it. But more than that, I actually do want to help you get more comfortable with, well, everything. Sex, sexuality, being turned on, and not just knowing but actually believing that it's okay." She gave Max an apologetic smile. "I really am sorry I nearly gave you a heart attack, though. That wasn't my intent. I only hope you did, in fact, enjoy the show."

Max swallowed and, after a moment, allowed herself to be honest. "I did," she whispered. "But, I don't want Chloe to hate me. You may not, and I'll forget later, but Chloe's your girlfriend. As dumb as I am, even I know you don't go checking out someone else's girlfriend. If she caught me, friend or no friend, she'd kill me."

Rachel barely kept herself from shaking her head. Max had absolutely no idea. Figuring another distraction was in order, Rachel very carefully crawled on top of Max and laid on top of her, just like at the party, except this time, there was a nice, thick comforter acting as a shield between the two of them. It seemed to help since Max, even though she went red, didn't go catatonic.

"First off, you're not stupid. I think I'm going to start tickling you whenever you say that to get you to stop." She smirked when she felt Max clamp up beneath her. "But not now. I don't want to wake Chloe or Steph. Second, Chloe would never hate you. Ever. I swear you could nuke this entire town off the map and she'd still love you. And third, Chloe knows me. When I tell her about this, because we don't keep secrets from each other, the only thing she'll do is ask if you liked it. If I tell her yes, she'll smirk and give me a high-five, maybe give you one, too. If I say no, she'll most likely corner you and demand to know if you're really gay or not. After all, how could you not check out this hot bod?"

Max managed a small smirk at that. "Egotist."

Rachel giggled. Max had unknowingly parroted Chloe's insult from before. She reached out and gently caressed Max's cheek, feeling her heart melt when Max closed her eyes and turned into her hand. God, she really was incredibly responsive. "Do you remember what we talked about before?" Rachel asked quietly, giving Max's cheek a gentle stroke with her thumb. "About how it's okay to be turned on and how it doesn't have to be scary or guilt-ridden? Same thing here. You didn't do anything wrong. Nothing. You looking at me when I'm purposely giving you a show is absolutely not a bad thing. And yesterday, how you said we're always teasing you but it's never mean? I hope that's the case here because I wasn't trying to be mean and I really didn't want you to get so scared because you 'got caught,'" she said, using air quotes. Rachel then placed her hands on either side of Max's head. "Just me being me. But say the word. One word, Max, and I'll stop. Because no matter what, your comfort is the one thing that matters most and if I'm constantly making you uncomfortable, then that's bad."

When Rachel fell silent, Max thought about everything she said. About how it was okay for her to look. How if someone got undressed in front of her, there was the expectation of at least being looked at. She thought about gym class and getting dressed in the locker room. How that was okay because it was just people changing. She wouldn't stare at them like she just did Rachel but then again, what Rachel did was way different. Then, she thought about Rachel stopping all of it. All the teasing, all the tiny hints of skin here and there, the touching, the flirting. And no. Just no. She couldn't do that. Not only was it just plain wrong to consider a non-flirty Rachel but (and Max was loathe to admit it, even to herself) Rachel was... nice? To look at?

Max licked her lips and refocused her attention on Rachel, who hadn't moved. "Um, does it mean I'm a disgusting perv if I didn't want you to stop?"

"No," Rachel replied with a shake of her head. "Not at all. It just means you're human. It means you have a sex drive. It means you're slowly figuring out what you like, and that's okay." She grinned. "And coming from you, it's a major compliment. So, thank you."

"You're welcome." Max swallowed and figured a bit more honesty was in order. "I've always thought you were beautiful," she said, turning red at her own words. "If that's okay to admit."

Rachel beamed. "Of course it is. Thank you for telling me." She tilted her head left, then right. "And what do you think of Chloe? And Steph?"

"Beautiful," Max said with a nod. "I'm bad with words and can't say things too well but they're just as beautiful. Just, um, please keep that between us, okay?"

Rachel tilted her head to one side. "How come? I know they'd love to hear you say that."

Max turned even more red at the thought. "It makes me really embarrassed to say things like that out loud. I don't know why, it just does."

"Then, my lips are sealed. Like I said, I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Max sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Rachel lowered her head slightly. "I need to get out of here, go jogging, but first, may I give you a good morning kiss?"

Max blinked. "But, it's not my birthday anymore."

"I know," Rachel said simply and waited.

Max looked Rachel in the eyes but couldn't see any signs of teasing. All she saw was a warm, gentle look, the kind she gave Max sometimes when it was just the two of them quietly hanging out. She swallowed. "Yes..."

Rachel's eyes sparkled at that, like Max had just said the most perfect thing in the world, then leaned down to give her a warm, chaste, sweet kiss. It was over a moment later but both of them were smiling widely afterwards.

Rachel lifted her upper torso off of Max and sat back, straddling her. She was about to say something when she saw Max wince. She very quickly lifted herself off completely. "Shit, did I hurt you?"

"No," Max shook her head, then eased herself upright. "You just reminded me I have to pee."

Rachel giggled again and stood, then stuck out a hand to help Max rise as well. "I'll be out jogging for roughly an hour and these two will be out for about that long. Why don't you go ahead and get showered and all that and, when I get done and cleaned up, we can all go grab a bite."

"That sounds like a great plan." Max grabbed her messenger bag and walked out the door with Rachel. "Um, thank you. For everything. Again."

Rachel heard that last word, "again," and gave Max A Look. "Don't you dare start thinking that you're asking too much or are being too much of a burden on us. Because you're not. We want to hang out with you. We want to help you. We want you to be happy." Rachel drew Max into a great big hug, pinning her arms to her sides. "And I'll continue to strip naked until you get it."

Max burst out laughing, then clamped her mouth shut, trying to stifle her laughter. She nodded her head rapidly, though she couldn't help the huge smile on her face. "Mmmmph!"

Rachel took that to mean, "okay," and let go, giving Max a playful smile. "Now, go on, before you explode. I'll see you soon enough."

"Okay. Enjoy yourself."

Rachel grinned. "You know it."

 

* * *

 

Steph blinked her eyes open when she heard the metallic click of the door closing and rolled over to her side, seeing Chloe do likewise. She smirked. "Catch all that, beautiful?" she whispered.

Chloe snorted. "Don't call me that," she whispered in reply. "I'm hot, not beautiful."

"Riiiiiiight," was Steph's drawn out reply, complete with eyeroll. "Whatever was I thinking."

"But yeah, I caught all of it. I don't think Max realizes how light a sleeper I am when Rachel isn't with me."

"I'm not a light sleeper at all but different room, different bed. Different sounds. So yeah, I was awake, too." She gave Chloe a look. "Kinda surprised you didn't roll over on top of Max and ask her to strip as payment for Rachel's show and all that."

"You know me too well," Chloe said with a smirk, then rubbed her hands over her eyes. "I was actually going to until Rachel started apologizing to Max for making her nearly crap herself. So, no. Me doing that then would've made her die of fright." She dropped her hands from her eyes and sighed. "I never thought she'd ever get scared of Rach or me. That actually kind of hurts to think about."

"She was thinking of Rachel as your girlfriend," Steph offered as explanation, "and how protective you are of her. And she doesn't really know us and how open we can be with each other." Steph sat up and stretched, breath hitching as her back popped in a couple of places. One wide yawn later and she lowered her arms. "It takes a certain level of confidence to have the kind of friendship we have, something Max is lacking."

"Tell me about it," Chloe muttered. "To get that freaked out over some T and A? Even I wasn't that bad."

"Oh, yes you were. Don't even lie." Steph grinned. "Maybe you don't remember how badly you'd blush whenever Rachel invited you to zip her up backstage but I certainly do. Middle school boys wouldn't turn as red as you did."

"Oh, fuck off," Chloe muttered, chucking her pillow at Steph, who caught it easily.

"Tempting, but no." She tossed the pillow right back which fwumped right onto Chloe's face. "I like 'em a bit shorter and shier, thanks."

Chloe's amused snort was muffled by the pillow. She drew it off her face and back underneath her head as a thought came to her. "You think I should tell Rach to cool it with the teasing? 'Cause even if Max said she's okay with it, I can probably convince her to stop."

"No," Steph said with a shake of her head. "The more I'm around Max, the more I think she really needs all kinds of exposure like what she just got. Playful teasing from Rachel, your in-your-face raw sex appeal, something from me, other stuff from others."

"Whoa, c'mon now," Chloe protested, lifting her hands. "You're getting way too descriptive there. You're gonna have to back up and use smaller words."

Steph flopped back down on the mattress. "Gimme a break. I just woke up and words are hard."

"I get that. I'm actually surprised you're this awake. Normally, you're a zombie."

"Well, there's no denying that a really attractive girl playing with her tits is more than enough to wake me up sooner than I'd like, but that's wearing off. And unless you're gonna do the same, I'm thinking I'm going to take that extra hour and sleep some more."

"Tempting, but no." Chloe smirked. "Unless you want to play with them for me?"

Steph reached out a hand and made grabby motions but fell far short of Chloe's boobs. Her hand went limp on the mattress. "Nah. Not worth the effort."

"I think I'm supposed to be offended at that."

"Eh, be offended later," Steph grinned as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, you're right." Chloe contemplated Steph a moment then reached out an arm. "Get over here already, ya nerd."

Steph popped one eye open, saw Chloe's invitation, then grinned just a bit wider as she shifted, crawled, and rolled over to her friend. She laid on her side and sighed, content, when Chloe wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Thanks. Appreciate it."

"No prob, dude."

Less than a minute later, the two were back asleep.

 

* * *

 

Freshly scrubbed, dressed, and ready for the day, Max wondered what she should do first. Homework was out as was laundry. She wasn't feeling reading her magazines or working on her photo wall. In fact, she wasn't feeling any inside activities right now. For some reason, she was itching to get out for a bit. She checked her phone, figuring she had plenty of time before Rachel was done with her jog and shower, then rifled through her messenger bag. She withdrew the leftover snacks and D/S folder and notebook, made certain the camera was still there, tucked the bottle of nail polish into the bag's inner pocket, then slung it over her shoulder. A short walk outside sounded great right about now.

Stepping outside of her room, she heard the click of another door being opened. Turning, Max smiled as she saw Kate, fully dressed for the day, step into the hall. Kate noticed her and smiled as well. "Good morning, Max."

"Good morning to you, too." The pair stepped close and shared a warm hug. "On your way to church?"

Kate nodded. "Yes. I'm a bit surprised to see you up so early, though."

"So am I," Max said with a grin. "But since I'm up, I was thinking of taking a short walk, get some fresh air."

"In that case, would you like to walk with me to the bus stop? I'd love to have your company."

"Sure! Thanks for the invite."

The two took the stairs and once they exited the dorm, fell into step beside one another. "Do you always go to church so early?" asked Max.

"I try. Early service, Bible study afterwards, followed by a light lunch. That way, I can volunteer my time at Meals on Wheels in the afternoon and have my evenings free for studying. If I oversleep or miss out on the early service, I still go to Bible study, then attend the 11:00 service but miss out on lunch because I head straight to Meals On Wheels right after service is over."

Max shook her head, still smiling. "You really are the best person, to do so much for others."

"I merely do what I can." Kate turned and smiled. "But thank you."

"You're welcome."

The pair reached the bus stop and took a seat on the nearby bench. "So, while I wait for the bus, you must tell me, what prompted you to wake up so early on a Sunday? I remember you telling me you love to sleep in."

"Well, part of it was I wound up sleeping with Rachel, Chloe, and Steph last night. Like, a slumber party kind of deal."

Kate beamed at her. "That sounds wonderful! Did you have a good time?"

"The best," Max said with a grin, then her smile faded. "Though what caused it was weird."

"Oh? Do you want to talk about it?"

Max nodded, then took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Last night, Victoria stopped by to wish me a happy birthday. We talked for a bit, then she asked if she could give me a birthday kiss, too. Oh, she also gifted me more snacks so I'm now pretty well stocked up."

"That was nice of her."

Max smirked. "Yeah, especially since she's partly responsible for me running out before."

"Really?"

"Really. I kinda got her to admit it a few days ago, but it's okay. She's more than made up for it. But yeah, she asked, I gave her permission, and then..." Max turned away and licked her lips. "She, um, kissed me. Very Domme-like."

Kate blinked at the slight blush on Max's cheeks. "That must've been some kiss."

"It was," Max said quietly, then cleared her throat. "But it was more than that. It started off as just a really strong kiss until I faded out? It was weird." She turned back. "I thought I had passed out somehow but it turns out, she, uh, accidentally dommed me. And I went into sub space. A bit." Max shifted in her seat. "Um, do you know about that stuff?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Kate replied with a nod. "It was something that both father and mother explained to me, when I started learning about being a Domme. How to take a sub there, how to bring one back safely, the sensations, the aftermath, signs to watch for before, during, and after." Kate paused and placed a gentle hand over Max's. "I can see you're okay now but what about last night? You said it was accidental so I take it your experience was likely not the best."

"It wasn't, at first." Max gave Kate a small shrug. "At the time, I had no idea what was happening. One moment, Victoria was kissing me. The next, I was in Rachel's room with Chloe and Steph. They explained I wandered over without realizing it. It was a bit scary but they helped calm me down, kept me safe and warm. And then later, Victoria showed up with Courtney, and explained further." She shifted in her seat so face Kate more fully. "She apologized to me. Victoria, of all people, actually apologized. To me."

Kate was surprised. "Wow. I admit, that does sound unbelievable, especially considering her behavior to you and others in the past. But I believe that's a positive sign that she's a responsible Domme."

"I agree. She apparently didn't realize what she had done until Rachel went and found her. Then, she came and explained what happened, why she left me alone." Max cleared her throat. "I, um, hope you don't mind that I don't share that part just yet. It'd feel like I was spreading rumors about her."

"I completely understand. Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Thanks. Afterwards, she told me when I interview Courtney to ask plenty of questions about it since she's experienced sub space many times now."

"That's a great idea," Kate replied with a smile. "She's a sub for such a powerful Domme and should have good insight on the lifestyle, too. It would be incredibly beneficial for you, especially since you're still uncertain what kind of sub you are."

"Yeah, definitely." Max smiled. "Courtney was super nice, too. Very supportive. She pointed out that I might be really sensitive to Dommes and because of that, I slipped into sub space very quickly. She said I might have to take things pretty slow when exploring my submissive side as a result but that's okay since everyone learns at their own pace. Even she had to take certain things slow, too."

"Fantastic advice," Kate agreed with a nod. "And something I wish I had known myself. When I realized I was a Domme and not a sub, I tried to change everything about myself quickly, thinking I had to make up for lost time. Needless to say, it didn't work, and I was stressing myself out. Father eventually explained that it wasn't a race. I could learn at my own pace and, even if it took some time, there was nothing wrong with me."

Max nodded. That made sense. "Because of what she said, because of all the other things I've learned so far, I'm really considering taking a sub course next semester. I think it might help, too."

"I take it you've never done so before, in Seattle?"

Max shook her head. "No. Way too shy."

"Then, it's likely a good idea. As to which one, though, it might be best to finish your current D/S study and talk to Miss Carter afterwards. She'll likely give you your best options, recommend classes that you can learn a lot from and avoid the ones that'll feel like you're repeating a lot of what you've already learned in the study itself."

"That's a good point." Max smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. And look, perfect timing."

Max looked up and saw the city bus approaching their stop. She and Kate rose from the bench and gave each other a long, warm hug. "Take care today, okay?"

"I will." They separated and Kate smiled. "I'll see you when I get back."

"See you then."

Max watched as Kate boarded the bus, which waited for her to get seated before rumbling forward. Max gave Kate a small wave, which was returned, then started walking back to Blackwell.

 

* * *

 

Max took her time returning to school. Early or not, it really was a rather pleasant day. When she reached the campus and walked up the short flight of stairs to the grounds, she stopped and tried to think of what to do. No new messages on her phone meant that Steph and Chloe were probably still asleep and Rachel was still jogging. And since she was going to get breakfast with her friends later, eating was out. Dana was probably still asleep, too. Which left Max...

Standing on the top of the stairs leading to Blackwell like an idiot.

Shaking her head, Max turned and looked out towards the horizon. She spent a few minutes there, just staring at nothing. Not much of a view, especially compared to the lighthouse but there was plenty of green around. That was the only thing she didn't really like about her Seattle home: the overall lack of trees. Arcadia Bay's small size meant that buildings were still spread out, leaving plenty of forest patches all around. Every now and then, Max would wander into the woods in and around Blackwell, camera in hand, looking for just the right inspiration. She'd gotten a couple of really nice animal shots as a result.

Hmm. Maybe that's what she could do to whittle away the time. Max nodded to herself and was just about to turn away when movement caught her eye. She focused her attention and saw none other than Miss Carter approaching the crosswalk from the field across the street.

Max blinked. Backed up a few paces. Reached into her bag and got out her camera. Checked the position and length of the nearby shadows. Shifted her position accordingly. Flipped up her flash. Got down on one knee. Raised her camera. Prayed that Miss Carter would lead with her left foot. And waited.

In short order, her ears picked up the faint sound of sneakers on concrete. Miss Carter's head bobbed into view. Her attention was focused away from Max. Good. Miss Carter raised her right arm and brushed her fingers through her hair, fanning it behind her. There was a slight gust of wind that made Miss Carter's hair billow out slightly, giving it volume. Her left foot hit the landing as her right leg was extended on the previous step.

Perfect.

The click and whir of the camera caught Miss Carter's attention. She turned and saw Max on one knee fairly close by, having just snapped a photo, presumably of her. She gave Max a welcoming smile. "Good morning, Max."

"Good morning, Miss Carter," Max replied and stood, taking the photo from the front of her camera and holding it in her hand. "How're you today?"

"Perfectly well, thank you. Happy belated birthday."

Max beamed. "Thank you. I take it you got my e-mail, then?"

"I haven't had the chance to read it yet, no, but I do remember your date of birth from your file. However, I'm headed to the office now so I'll be reading it shortly."

"Oh. Okay."

Miss Carter read Max's body language, the slight eagerness that had faded, and took a guess. "I take it something good happened yesterday and you told me about it?"

"Yes. And yes." Max shuffled in place. "But I won't bore you with the details since you're already on your way in. Um, sorry to bother you."

"You're not bothering me at all," Miss Carter interjected, seeing Max was starting to feel a bit embarrassed, likely because she made an incorrect assumption and was just about to run away. Figuratively. "And while I'm certain your message has plenty of details, why don't you tell me a bit about it? I'd much rather hear it from you, personally." Which was true. Miss Carter preferred face-to-face interactions as they allowed her to get a good read on her charges' body language, and respond accordingly.

"I, um, didn't want to keep you from your plans, though." Max shuffled again. "I mean, it's your day off. I know you have more important things to do."

"Than take care of you, one of my charges, a student I've personally helped with a specialized assignment that she's been doing phenomenally with?" Miss Carter shook her head. "Absolutely not."

Max looked down at her feet, poking at the sidewalk with the toe of her Chucks, a tiny smile on her face. "...really?"

Miss Carter gave Max a gentle smile of her own. "I would never lie to you, Max." She stepped forward and guided Max towards one of the benches on campus, taking a seat and motioning for Max to join her. "I'll be scheduling another meeting with you soon to follow-up our first one from Tuesday so we can touch base, talk about your assignment, your progression, where you're headed, that sort of thing. But yes, you've been doing incredibly well. I truly am impressed with how far you've progressed in such a short amount of time. You're taking the time to ask plenty of questions, to really listen to the answers, to do more research afterwards. You're learning so much, so quickly, and it shows in your reports."

Miss Carter watched as Max turned red but still smiled shyly. Embarrassed by the praise but proud as well. A good sign. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Has the pace of the assignment been okay for you?"

Max nodded. "So far, it's been great. Nothing overwhelming and I've managed to get an interview everyday with no issues. I interviewed Dana last night, actually, but didn't do the write up yet. I was going to this afternoon."

"Excellent."

"But, now that you mention it, what happens if I can't get an interview in? Like, everyone's too busy that particular day?"

"Should that happen, I want you to pick a subject that's been brought up previously, one that interests you the most or something you have the most questions about, and do a report on it. Study up, research it, and send it in as you have been. Should we reach a point in your D/S study that none of your peers has anything further to contribute but I still feel you have more to learn, your assignment will be adjusted accordingly." She gave Max a smile. "But we'll discuss that further if we get to that point."

"Okay. Thanks."

Miss Carter motioned towards the photo still held in Max's hand. "May I?"

"Oh!" Max had honestly forgotten she was still holding it. "Um, sure!" she said, handing the photo over.

Miss Carter took the photo, careful to only handle it by the bottom border and blinked. There she was, sans makeup, having just finished running four miles, sweaty, towel hanging around the back of her neck, and somehow, someway, Max managed to make her look good. The angle, the lighting, the slight breeze, all of it, made it appear that she was actively posing for the lens rather than it being a spur of the moment shot.

She handed the photo back, just as carefully. "An impressive shot. I can see why you received a photography scholarship."

Predictably, Max blushed. "Um, thank you," she said softly.

"Will you be using that for class?"

"Maybe. Doubtful. Most likely, it'll go on my photo wall." Max saw the inquisitive look on Miss Carter's face and hastened to explain. "On my wall in my room, I have a wide collection of important photos I've taken over the years. Moments that stood out, memories I cherish. People that are important. I had a thought yesterday that maybe I have too many photos of heroes for the Everyday Hero contest but that I didn't have one of you. Until now, that is. Um." Max looked up, suddenly self-conscious. "Was it okay that I took the photo? If not, I can let you have it." She worried her bottom lip, abruptly aware that she didn't ask Miss Carter's permission. Maybe she hates her picture being taken? Dog, she hoped not.

Miss Carter, in the meantime, couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion at being considered one of Max's everyday heroes. She was so incredibly touched at that. But, it was also apparent Max wasn't aware she dropped that little tidbit, considering how nervous she was becoming over asking permission rather than being embarrassed at her slip. She gave the shy photographer a wide, friendly smile. "Of course it's okay. I'm honored to be one of your subjects."

"Cool," Max said with a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"But now, you simply must tell me all about your birthday."

Max slipped the photo into her messenger bag and grinned. "It was the best day of my life."

Miss Carter listened as Max described her birthday, starting with being escorted to the common room by Kate and discovering a surprise party waiting for her. She smiled and laughed as Max gave her highlights from the party, the fun she had, watched as she turned red when she stopped herself from telling a rather bawdy joke that was shared, then made her comfortable again by telling Max the punchline herself. "I've heard that one before, actually, so don't worry about shocking me." Max's wide smile in reply was a wondrous sight to behold.

She blinked in surprise when Max described her surprise present of birthday kisses, then hid her knowing smirk behind a polite smile. Miss Carter wondered just how many of the girls at the party treated their kiss with Max as a present for themselves. She did help Max along when the young girl did her best to gloss over her reactions to the various kisses, likely a bit embarrassed at the slight arousal she felt even now over them. A few choice words later and Max went onto the next subject, none the wiser.

One thing that stood out to Miss Carter was how animated and vibrant Max was now, telling her story. Unlike the other times she'd seen her, even just a few minutes ago, Max was completely at ease. Miss Carter felt it was a good look for Max and hoped that by the end of the assignment, Max's confidence would grow in a similar way. Through it all, even parts Miss Carter knew she was leaving out, the smile never left Max's face.

"And this morning was memorable, too. Just, um, unexpected?" Max squirmed a bit. "I don't know if I can say it out loud. It was… weird? Sexy? Weirdly sexy?" Max bit her lip. "If that's okay to admit? I mean, you're a guidance counsellor so I'm guessing it's okay but..."

"Perfectly okay to admit," Miss Carter said with a comforting smile. "If it's something you can't say now, feel free to add it to your report later. That's one of the advantages of written reports: you have the time to put your thoughts into words, even ones that might normally be a bit embarrassing. And since you described it as sexy, I'm certain it will fit right along with everything else.

Max blinked, then smiled. "Good point. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Max!"

Both student and teacher turned at the bright voice and saw Rachel and Victoria headed in their direction. Judging by their nearly empty water bottles and the fact they were covered in sweat, they both had just finished their workout.

Max gave the pair a friendly wave. "Hey, guys!"

Rachel stepped up close, Victoria trailing her slightly. "Miss Carter, morning!"

"Good morning, Rachel, Victoria."

"Morning."

Miss Carter rose from her seat and looked at Max. "Since your friends are here now, I think I'll take my leave. There are a few things I need to handle in the office. I'll be certain to read your reports, too."

Max stood as well. "Thanks, Miss Carter. For listening. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Have a good rest of the day, Max, Rachel, Victoria."

The three girls gave the guidance counsellor friendly farewells then turned to one another. Rachel spoke first. "I'm going to head up, wake up Heckle and Jeckle, get a shower, all that stuff. You still up for some breakfast?"

"You bet." Max turned to Victoria who had remained quiet. "Did you want to join us?" she asked hesitantly.

Victoria blinked, surprised at the offer, but recovered quickly. "Thank you for the invite but I have previous breakfast plans with Courtney." She gave Max a soft smile. "Perhaps next time."

"Okay. Tell Courtney I said 'good morning.'"

"I will. Have a good breakfast."

As Victoria walked away, Rachel plopped down on the bench with an exaggerated groan, giving Victoria a head start. As she expected, Max sat back down next to her. Rachel rolled her head towards her friend and gave her a grin. "Only you, Max."

"Only me, what?"

"Only you can catch the attention of the alluring Miss Carter and have a face-to-face with her."

Max blushed. "It's not like that at all. And you know it." She turned and matched Rachel's grin. "You're teasing me again."

"You know it, girl," Rachel replied, unrepentant. "How're you doing?"

"Good. After my shower, I ran into Kate and we walked to the bus stop together. We chatted a bit about last night, then she left to go to church and her volunteer work."

"She's an angel, all right."

"I agree," Max said with a warm smile. "When I got back, I saw Miss Carter approaching and managed to snap a photo for my wall. Then, we got to talking."

"A photo?" Rachel sat up, excited. "Lemme see!"

"Sure." Max reached back into her bag and handed the photo to Rachel. "What do you think?"

Rachel licked her lips. "Holy shit, Max. This is so good."

Max shifted in her seat. "Really? You're not teasing me again?"

"Absolutely not," Rachel replied with a shake of her head. She leaned towards Max and began pointing at the photo. "See the lighting here? The angle of the shot? Beautiful. Her hair, caught by the wind, billowing out slightly, her hand brushing through it? Shows motion even without movement. The fact she's looking away at something in the distance? Gives that aloof feeling, something models are told all the time to do. Her legs, her arms, the position you caught them in, showing off her musculature without her needing to actively flex? It shows a quiet strength there." She handed the photo back and gave Max a wide smile. "I can only hope that any photo you take of me is half as good."

"Um." Max took the photo back and placed it in her messenger bag. She could feel her face burning with all the compliments. "Thank you," she whispered.

Rachel stood and reached out a hand to Max. She wanted to say more but knew that Max probably couldn't handle any more praises without feeling incredibly awkward. "C'mon, shy girl. Let's go wake up the others."

"O-okay." Max took the hand and let Rachel pull her from the bench. The pair began walking to the dorm, Rachel chatting about the strange thoughts that ambled through her head as she was jogging. Max listened, enjoying hearing her talk, but noticed halfway to the dorm that Rachel never let go of her hand. The realization filled her with a bright, warm feeling and Max gave the hand a very tiny squeeze. That feeling soared when Rachel squeezed back.

Joy. That's what she felt. Pure joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was another scene here that ultimately got cut that had Rachel and Victoria facing off, so to speak, before their jog. I'll likely reference their now-missing conversation in a later scene but the short version is Victoria now knows Rachel _et al_. are planning to date Max, and she's welcome to join in on the group discussion when they break it to Max. Victoria surprises Rachel by agreeing but asks for time to come up with something a bit better than "group meeting in the common room."
> 
> For length, I could've cut Kate's scene completely and explained her absence with "she's at church," but I really like Kate and wanted her here. I hope everyone understands.
> 
> Miss Carter's appearance here was a deliberate choice. The idea I have is she comes in on Sundays to catch up on work while things are quiet and since she's here, uses Blackwell's track to work out. So, she does that first, works, then goes about the rest of her day. So, technically, she's working on her day off but there's not a single faculty member I know at any decent school who doesn't put in extra hours for their students.
> 
> Chapter 33 had several false-starts as there was so much I wanted to write (Dana and Juliet's morning cuddles maybe turning to something more) but I think I got it where I want to go. Which is fortunate as my brain hasn't been cooperating with me lately and writing's been a bit tricky. I'm gonna try to outline several things, future interviews, for example, and see if that helps.
> 
> Thanks so much for your support!


	33. The Max Files

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to see me post weird _Life Is Strange_ -related content, stop on by: <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Miss Carter unlocked her office and stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. While the probability of getting interrupted by security or Samuel were minuscule, she preferred ensured privacy whenever she came in on Sundays as she didn't like to be interrupted. Her encounter with Max, of course, didn't count as a disruption. She was a student, one of her charges, and Miss Carter genuinely enjoyed helping her and all the others under her care, day off or no.

She went to her gym bag resting on her couch and opened it, withdrawing a clean set of clothing. Sometimes, she'd take a shower in the gymnasium but since she spent that time outside speaking with Max, the sweat had dried off and she felt less need to do so right away. She changed quickly, deciding to shower when she returned home instead.

Once dressed in jeans and a Blackwell Academy t-shirt, she sat at her desk and unlocked her computer. She logged in, opened her e-mail client, then grabbed a small bottle of water from her micro fridge. As she drank, she re-read the draft of the general announcement she had composed Friday afternoon to ensure there were no spelling errors. Photographic memory or no, it never hurt to be prudent. After giving it another once-over, she nodded, satisfied, and clicked "Send."

With that finished, Miss Carter started on her new messages, most of which had been sorted into separate folders thanks to her mail filters. She worked quickly but efficiently, confirming various appointments, approving certain items, disapproving others, updating her calendar, committing future Blackwell events to memory, and in short order, found herself going through her charges' various e-mails. She spent more time on these, making certain to read through all the various messages and reports carefully, printing them off, adding her own notes to the papers, replying as needed, filing them when finished.

Miss Carter saved Max's message for last, smiling to herself when she reached it. While she didn't consider herself biased in anyway (all of her charges received her complete, undivided attention when she worked on their messages and reports), she could admit that there was a quality about Max that drew her in. Part of it, she felt, was the mystery Max inadvertently brought with her, namely, the question of her role. Miss Carter was convinced Max had one; they, collectively, hadn't found it yet. But the rest was all Max: introverted, shy, uncertain, nervous, guileless, all those descriptors applied and called out to Miss Carter's protective nature and nurturing instincts. Yet at the same time, Max was incredibly skilled, multi-talented, possessed a unique charm, was quietly passionate about her photography, and, if the rumors were true, had several young ladies all vying for her attention. That, at least, had been verified by Max herself, though she had no idea.

Miss Carter smirked. Birthday kisses, indeed.

She opted to skip the accompanying letter for the moment, figuring she had already gotten the majority of the contents from Max earlier, and dove straight into the attached report. Miss Carter rather enjoyed reading them. The informal nature of Max's writing style sprinkled a dose of innocence throughout the entire work. Plus, her genuine curiosity shone through as she revealed everything she had researched and uncovered, despite the trepidation she undoubtedly felt due to the subject matter. Max seemed to enjoy the element of discovery inherent in her assignment and for that, Miss Carter was grateful.

When Miss Carter finished reading the report, she printed it off, then jotted down several notes. She'd add it to Max's file in a moment but first, she decided to read Max's letter in case there were interesting tidbits there that should be filed along with the report. It was the first time that Max had ever sent her a full-blown letter and she was intrigued to see what Max might let slip.

A couple of minutes later, she had her answer: a disturbing amount. On the surface, there was a lot of joy in the letter. Just as she had told Miss Carter in person, Max had absolutely loved her birthday party and it showed. But scattered throughout the message were signs that all was not well with Max, culminating in the final phrase, "Part of me is amazed I made it to 18 at all."

A red flag if she ever saw one.

There was no doubt the letter needed inclusion in Max's file, so Miss Carter printed it off, then underlined every phrase that pointed to a disquieting trend of self-deprecation. When she was finished, she went back through Max's file and repeated the task with every report present. She already suspected that Max suffered from anxiety and/or depression based on her mannerisms and some entries in her otherwise spotless school records (the phrases "doesn't socialize" and "needs to interact more" came to mind), but looking at the whole picture made her wonder just how bad things were with Max. Miss Carter would have to keep a close eye on her charge, perhaps even bring it up with Max herself during their next meeting.

One thing she was certain would help is giving Max something concrete: an answer to the ever-present question of "what is my role?" All of the information Max had been steadily providing her pointed to an adaptive role of some sort, just not one Miss Carter had studied. Mirror came close but even considering that roles were incredibly subjective and not everyone fit into theirs perfectly, there were too many discrepancies for Max to fall into that one.

Miss Carter took a look at her watch and grimaced. As much as she'd love to delve into the mystery right away, she did have afternoon plans and had to get a move on. In short order, everything was put away and secured. She grabbed her gym bag on her way out and locked the office door behind her. Miss Carter had a feeling she'd need to consult a friend and colleague for her assistance in uncovering Max's role but no matter how long it took, she was determined to get an answer for Max.

 

* * *

 

Taylor did her best to keep her moans of delight to herself and almost succeeded. She quickly swallowed and gave Victoria a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Victoria shook her head slightly, not looking up from her notepad. "No matter how many times you eat that dish, you always react the same way to the first bite." She glanced up and smirked. "Never change, Sweet-T."

"Keep inviting me to breakfast here and I won't," Taylor replied with a grin, then took another bite. She, Victoria, and Courtney were all seated at a table in their preferred breakfast bistro, Coffee, Tea, & You, enjoying a nearly decadent breakfast of crepes, frittatas, croissants, coffee, and hot cocoa. It was kind of their thing on Sundays but that didn't make it any less special for her. Plus, Victoria's text this morning indicated she might need help with something, though she declined to say what, exactly, during the trip. Taylor mentally shrugged. Victoria would tell them in due time.

She turned to Courtney, seated to her left, and watched as she tore a piece free of her croissant and ate it. "How's the food today?"

"Smells wonderful." Courtney gave Taylor a smile. "I have to pace myself with the crepe, though. The filling's off just a bit and it's stronger than usual."

"You could have it taken back and redone," Victoria said, glancing up from her notepad. "I don't want you to get overwhelmed."

"Nothing like that, Mistress," Courtney replied. "More like, it's just richer than I was expecting. It's still very tasty, though."

"Did you want to try a piece of mine, see if the balance is better?"

Courtney blinked. "Are you sure?"

"You know I don't mind. Here." Taylor slid her plate in Courtney's direction.

"Thanks," Courtney said, cutting off a portion of the crepe with her knife and fork. She bit into the piece, chewed, and swallowed. "Oh, that's nice. Very nice. A lot more mellow, nowhere near as strong."

"Then, let's swap. I'm fine with either filling, you know that. And I'd rather you had something you can eat right away rather than take home in a doggy bag later."

"Thanks again."

The two switched plates and continued eating, though both kept an eye on Victoria who, uncharacteristically, hadn't touched her frittata yet. Courtney took a sip of her hot cocoa and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Mistress? Your breakfast is getting cold."

"Hmm?" Victoria looked up, then to the plate in front of her and blinked. "Dammit." Setting down her pen, she took hold of her knife and fork and began eating her muffin-sized frittatas. "Thanks, Court," she said between bites. "I'd forgotten."

"Certainly, Mistress."

"But now that you're not writing, maybe you can tell us what's got you so engrossed?" Taylor asked.

Victoria swallowed her bite and took a sip of her coffee. "In a minute. But first, tell me, who do you know is either gunning for Max or has a thing for her? You mentioned it before."

"Besides you, you mean?" Taylor grinned at Victoria's glower.

"Yes. Besides me," Victoria replied, her voice flatter than a steamrolled sheet of paper.

Taylor took a sip of her coffee to gather her thoughts. "I'm aware of Rachel and Dana, definitely. I have noticed Stella making occasional eyes at Max in Photography, though the gaydar isn't as conclusive there. The impression I get is she's bi-curious and might be down for some experimentation, and Max is a very safe, non-threatening girl to do it with."

Victoria looked at Courtney, who nodded in agreement. "That seems to match what I've seen, especially considering what I saw at the party. I wouldn't consider her a rival. Unless the events of the party encouraged her to get more serious but considering her behavior in the past, that's doubtful."

"Hmm." Victoria took another bite of her frittata and jotted down Stella's name on her notepad with a question mark. "She still up to work for us at the party?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Good. Find out what you can then. She'll likely be looser lipped by that point."

"Yes, Mistress."

Victoria looked at Taylor and Courtney. "For the record, though, Price, Marsh, and Gingrich need to be added to that list."

Both Taylor and Courtney blinked at that, though Taylor spoke first. "The choir girl? Seriously?"

"Yes."

"But Mistress, isn't that against her religion's rules?"

"Apparently not. I made the same assumption, never considering that different denominations have varying stances on that whole issue. It came as quite the surprise when Amber name dropped her."

"You don't think Rachel was just using her name to, I don't know, throw you off or something instead?" Taylor asked.

Victoria shook her head. "Unlikely, especially considering that she confirmed all the other names we've already established."

"Damn..." Taylor took another sip of her coffee. "So, Rachel, Dana, Kate, Steph, and you."

"Chloe, too," Courtney added.

"Right. Forgot since she's not a student. Okay, that makes four Dommes, one switch, and one sub all interested in the same girl." Taylor huffed out a breath. "This is starting to sound like a really bad romantic comedy."

"Tell me about it," Victoria said with a grumble. "The only thing that doesn't make this an utter farce is the fact that they all want to collectively date her. All cards on the table, no sneaking around, that sort of thing."

"Wow." Taylor blinked. "That's... very mature?"

"Or the beginnings of the largest clusterfuck in human history," Victoria countered.

Taylor laughed while Courtney giggled softly. "You got that right," Taylor agreed with a bright smile.

All three waited as a waitress came by to collect their empty plates and refill their drinks. Victoria waited until she left before speaking again. "This morning, before the jog, Amber told me all of this. I, of course, asked why I was being informed. She explained that our mutual animosity aside, it wouldn't be right to cut me off, a Queen, from Max, as I might be exactly what she needs in her life. Her happiness trumps our past. She then extended an invitation for me to join in on the conversation when she and the others break the news to Caulfield." Victoria smirked. "I surprised her by agreeing to come, something I'm certain she didn't expect. But, because they hadn't figured out a way to do so that wouldn't completely freak her out, I was contemplating a dinner venue of some sort. Food tends to break the ice rather well." She tapped the notepad. "I was getting hung up on the details."

Taylor nodded. "Such as?"

"A private room, for starters. A traditional restaurant environment isn't quiet enough for such a meeting. Too many distractions. I had been considering Rue Altimore."

"I wouldn't, Mistress," Courtney said, catching Victoria's attention. "While the privacy is definitely there, the environment, I think, would be rather intimidating. I have a feeling that if Max caught wind of the price of anything on their menu, she'd get so uncomfortable she wouldn't enjoy the meal, and would prove a major distraction to the ensuing conversation."

Victoria slowly nodded. "Good point." She scratched out the restaurant from the list. "Hmm."

"What about Koko's?" Taylor asked. "Private dining and a bit out of the way. Scenic as well. You might be able to break the ice by asking her to snap some photos. Or, snap some together."

"Good location, great idea, awful food. I seriously don't understand how they haven't been shut down for health code violations. I'd have to get something catered and I know they wouldn't allow it."

"Plus, a private golf course, I think, would still send the wrong vibe to Max. Less 'this is romantic' and more 'I could never afford this.'" Courtney shifted in her seat. "If it's for Max, Mistress, I'm certain nearly any venue that wasn't fast food would work. In fact, if there was one nearby, I'd recommend an Olive Garden or Red Lobster."

Victoria looked askance. "A chain restaurant?"

Courtney nodded. "No offense to Max but judging by her everyday attire, the fact she uses the bus, her complete lack of jewelry, and the fact she doesn't even have a TV, fridge, or microwave in her room, I'd say she isn't well-off. She'd probably consider dinner at an Olive Garden to be fancy and somewhere like Red Lobster a once-a-year luxury. Anything past that in price and she'd probably be too intimidated to actually enjoy it."

Victoria tapped her notepad with her pen a few times before sighing softly. "So, I need to set my sights lower."

"Not lower, per se," Taylor replied. "You're not slumming it, after all. You're Victoria Freaking Chase! Anywhere you go would immediately be 5-star!" She grinned at Victoria's amused snort. "You just have to scale your plans differently. I mean, it's not just Max but all the others, too. Rachel and Dana could probably handle a high-end restaurant, easy, but Kate? Chloe? I doubt it. Not sure about Steph, though."

"That's a good point about scaling for everyone else, too," Courtney added. "You said this meeting is to break the news to Max, all cards on the table. That means an even playing field. If you were to try and go too fancy, the others might see it as an attack. 'Look at what I can provide Max that you can't.' And they'd probably react poorly." She placed her hand atop Victoria's. "Perhaps choosing a restaurant that offers a new experience rather than an expensive one is a better approach?"

Victoria considered that. "Like our Thai place?" She didn't think any of the others partook in Asian cuisine all that often.

"Or that grille in Rockaway Beach," Taylor replied. "They had a pretty eclectic menu from what I remember yet is still highly rated. I didn't order it but didn't they have a burger where the buns were actually crab cakes?"

"You're right!" Courtney smiled. "I wasn't brave enough to try it but it was interesting to read about."

As Taylor and Courtney started chatting about the restaurant, pulling out their phones to try and find its menu online, Victoria gave their advice a lot of thought. As much as she wanted to wow Max, everything they said was true. If the others did see her choice of dinner venue as an attack, they could sabotage her efforts to court the shy hipster. Not that they would succeed, of course, but as loathe as she was to admit it, Rachel was damn good at being a sneaky, underhanded bitch. Sense of fair play or no, there was just no telling what she could or would do. Victoria would have to leave the wowing for another time, perhaps on an actual date with Max.

So, instead, a new or unique dining experience. Something overall affordable to the general public, possibly with a private dining area or, barring that, an area that could be reserved for just them, a group of eight (she was absolutely including Courtney; they were a unit and were in this together or not at all). Victoria crossed out a few other restaurant names, added a couple of others, made a couple more notes, then, with a slight nod, closed her notepad.

Courtney noticed the motion and looked up from her phone. "Mistress?"

"Just finishing up," Victoria replied, taking a final sip of her coffee. "Thank you for your input, Court, Sweet-T."

"Of course, Mistress."

"You're welcome."

"Just about finished?" Victoria asked as she carefully dabbed her lips with her napkin.

"Nearly, Mistress." Courtney took the opportunity to take a final sip of her cocoa. She sighed, a soft smile on her face. "Okay, now I'm finished."

Victoria reached over and gave Courtney's hand a gentle caress. "Then let's head back."

 

* * *

 

 **Max**  
I'm so sorry! I think my messenger app got stuck on an update and because it didn't finish, I never got your messages.

 **Dad**  
As long as you're okay, that's all that matters.

 **Mom**  
Did you have a good birthday?

 **Max**  
The best ever! I'll tell you all about it soon but all the girls here threw me a surprise party! It was so completely awesome.

 **Mom**  
That's wonderful, sweetie!

 **Dad**  
Did you get your package?

 **Max**  
Not yet. Sorry. :( I got so busy I forgot to check. And since the mailroom's not open on Sundays, I'll have to check first thing tomorrow.

 **Dad**  
Check your account, too. Just don't spend it all in one place.

 **Max**  
Thanks so much! Love you!

 **Dad**  
Love you, too.

 **Mom**  
XXXOOO!

Max smiled as she put her phone away. "Sorry for all the pinging. I got, like, a day's worth of texts all at once."

"No problem, Max," Steph said with a smile. "How's the fam anyway?"

"Good, from what I can tell. They sent me a package but I forgot to check mail yesterday, so I'll have to get it Monday."

"Food?" Chloe said, perking her head up from her textbook.

Max grinned. "It might be. Sometimes, mom bakes cookies and sends them. If it is food, I'll be sure to share."

"Kick ass."

With a nod, Chloe turned back to her textbook and resumed her note-taking, Steph following suit. Both were seated on her bed doing homework, with Steph using a lap desk she got from her room, Chloe insisting she was fine without such a crutch, a comment that got her a thrown eraser to the side of the head. Rachel had left about a half hour ago to practice her lines out loud in her room, knowing that all the speaking would be a major distraction to everyone else. "But I'll be back later to steal Steph so she can help me with Calc," she said, after giving Chloe, then Max, surprisingly, a quick goodbye kiss.

Max flushed a bit at the memory. It felt so odd to get kisses today, the day after her birthday, when no one had any reason to do so. But then again, didn't Rachel give her a kiss on the cheek Thursday evening? It wasn't her birthday then, either. Was Rachel just being Rachel again? Maybe. Max had been concerned that Chloe would get upset or something, seeing her girlfriend kissing someone else, but she didn't even bat an eye.

Weird.

She mentally shrugged and tried to put it out of her mind, focusing her attention back to her report. She gave it another read-through, making sure she didn't miss anything. She had included all the information that Dana gave and all the stuff Victoria explained, making the report quite a bit longer than her previous ones.

> Dana Ward. Sub. And the fifth person I've interviewed for this assignment. That means I'm a bit over halfway done! But, don't take that to mean I don't like the assignment. I'm actually really enjoying it. It might be a lot of research and reading but it's been so very informative and incredibly helpful.
> 
> Dana said she's a Service sub, different from a Servant. When I asked, she explained that for her, the main difference is she doesn't like being told what to do, as someone would a Servant, but enjoys volunteering her services to others without being asked. Things like giving someone a massage, cooking a meal, or just getting someone a drink. It gives her such a sense of fulfillment to do domestic things like that for others and feel appreciated for it. While I'm not exactly the same way, I kinda get what she means. Whenever Kate and I have our tea dates, for example, I enjoy helping out with the prep and clean up. It makes it into an us thing and is all the more sweeter for it.
> 
> She also talked about intimacy and explained that it doesn't equal sex. It actually means close familiarity or friendship and that it's okay to have different levels of physical intimacy with different people. I had never considered that before but when I thought back on all my friends, I could see what she meant. Rachel and Chloe, both, are very physical with their affection, while Kate isn't. But that doesn't mean that Kate cares less than the others. It's all dependent on each person's comfort levels. Even though Rachel and Chloe (and Dana, too) touch way more than Kate, none of it is ever uncomfortable. They always ensure I'm fine with everything. And when I'm with Kate, I don't crave more touch from her to match the others. It's like I have the right balance from everyone, even if it does make me blush sometimes.
> 
> Dana also mentioned something that struck a chord with me: touch-starved. The concept that, if you go too long without being physically intimate with someone, your hormones go bonkers, stress and anxiety skyrocket, and feelings of depression can develop or worsen. That really sounded like me so I did some digging. Ignoring all the pundits that claim it doesn't exist and millennials need to stop being babies about everything, the overall advice I've found is cuddle more. That's it. Just, be around people you care about and get up close to them. Oh, and apparently massage is a nice go-to, if you can find someone who can do it and/or can afford it.
> 
> On a related note, I'm pretty certain that Juliet is as far from being touch-starved as humanly possible. Dana's a self-taught masseuse and said she gives Juliet backrubs all the time. I can only imagine just how good that must feel!
> 
> Part of me really wants to give the whole cuddling more thing a try. Maybe it'll help? It's just, when I think about actually asking, I feel so stupid. There's no way for me to look at Dana or Rachel or Kate or anyone and say, "Can I cuddle up with you?" without it sounding ridiculous. They're not my personal teddy bear, they're my friends. And, I think it'll seem like all I'm doing is taking without ever offering anything in return. But, I did promise I'd visit Dana for another massage if I got sore, so maybe that'll be enough?
> 
> (I will warn you that this report will now get longer because of something that happened after my interview with Dana. I really hope you don't mind!)
> 
> Later that same evening, Victoria stopped by and wished me a happy birthday. We talked about photography for a bit, then she asked for permission to give me a birthday kiss as well. She was the last person to offer and, I can admit to you, I was excited to receive it. So, she kissed me and wowsers! What a kiss! Totally blew me away. Thinking back, she kissed me exactly like a Queen would: domineering and powerful. But then, something odd happened. I kind of... faded out? Like I wasn't all there. Even now, I can only recall vague sensations rather than exact memories. It felt kinda good, kinda weird.
> 
> I found out later, after coming to in Rachel's room, that Victoria took me to sub space. I was a bit scared since I didn't remember walking to Rachel's room but apparently when I got there, Rachel, Steph, and Chloe took super good care of me. And when Victoria showed up, she sat down and explained exactly what happened. How it was an accident and she didn't mean to take me there. That she didn't mean to abandon me afterwards.
> 
> Courtney was there, too, and suggested I might be really sensitive to Dommes and probably slipped into sub space very easily as a result. She said I might have to take things nice and slow when exploring my sub nature but that was okay since everyone learns at different paces. Even she had to take things slow, but Victoria, her Domme, was patient and kind to her. She was so happy to say that, too, and it made me feel good, to know that about Victoria.
> 
> Victoria apologized for what happened. And I accepted her apology and forgave her. How could I not? The fact that she went out of her way to explain herself to a sub that's not even hers, to help someone as clueless as me, despite having no obligation to do so, tells me she's a great and responsible Domme. Like, I've seen Victoria's mean side firsthand, but knowing what I know now, I know she genuinely cares for those close to her.
> 
> Before she left, Victoria also explained that sup space and sub drop varies from person to person and recommended I stay with friends that night and the next day, just to be on the safe side. So far, it seems to have worked since I don't feel like I've ever, regressed? I think that's the word. I spent the night with Steph, Rachel, and Chloe on one big floor bed and it was so wonderful. Not only did it help me not feel so alone but it was a fun slumber party, too, and the perfect way to end a birthday evening.
> 
> And now, the thing that happened this morning. The weirdly sexy thing I mentioned? When I woke up, I saw Rachel being really quiet, getting dressed to go jogging. I didn't mean to stare, I swear! But, when she was completely nude, she took a really long time to putting her clothes on. It was like a reverse striptease and was very erotic. Dog, I can feel my face heat up even now! The problem was, when she turned around and I realized she knew I was awake and watching her the entire time, I completely freaked. I was certain she was going to kill me and hate me forever.
> 
> But she didn't. She calmed me down, even apologized for freaking me out. She explained that she likes showing off her body sometimes, likes teasing me, and actually does want me to get more comfortable with sex, sexuality, and all of that. She admitted she did it all on purpose, saw in her mirror that I was awake, and thought it'd be fun. She was so incredibly sweet to me, so kind, despite what I did, and told me that Chloe, her girlfriend and my friend, too, wouldn't hate me either.
> 
> I know I should take that at face value and I do trust Rachel so, so much, but is that normal? Is it okay? To look at someone like that and not be hated for it? I don't understand why I don't feel guilty now for basically acting like a great big perverted peeping Tom. I mean, I know she said it was okay and even asked me if I wanted her to stop with all the teasing flirting (I don't, really and truly, I don't) but what kind of weirdo am I, then, that I actually want one of my best friends to continue on like that? I really hope this assignment can help me find an answer because as helpful and informative as this has been, sometimes I wonder if I'm just turning into some kind of perv who'll see all my friends as sex objects instead of the sweet, wonderful, caring individuals that they are. I really hope not. I'd rather die than become someone like that.

Max re-read the final paragraph of her report and wondered if she being whiny. Maybe what she wrote was too stupid? But, that's how she genuinely felt and if she didn't include it, then she wasn't being completely honest with Miss Carter, which meant any help she gave wouldn't be as good as it could be. Miss Carter said that to her twice before: the more open and honest Max was, the better aid she could provide. She worried her bottom lip. Should she...?

She stared at her laptop screen for nearly a minute, arguing viciously with herself, before finally opting to save the document as-is. Max attached the report to the e-mail to Miss Carter, and with only a little bit of trepidation, sent it off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was done. No sense in worrying about it now as there was no way to unsend it. If it really was stupid, Miss Carter would let her know during their meeting.

Max printed off a copy of the report, the sound of her ink jet cranking out the page snapping Chloe to awareness. She looked up and saw Max stand from her desk chair, take a sheet from the printer, fold it in half, then attach it to a blank page in a journal. "Dude, is that a new journal?"

Max turned to Chloe, blinking the surprise from her face. "Um, yeah. I decided that this assignment needed it's own journal to keep track of everything, all my thoughts about the D/S lifestyle, what I've learned, stuff like that." She closed it and set it on her desk. "There's so much that I didn't want to clog my regular journal with it."

"Makes sense," Chloe replied, then grinned. "So, if I were to take a peek, how much horny goodness would I find?"

"Um." Max paled at the idea of anyone reading her D/S journal, considering all the other stuff that was also included. She picked the journal back up and curled her arms around it. "None...?"

Chloe closed her textbook and jumped from the bed. "Relax, Max. Just messin' with you." She reached forward and drew Max into a hug. "This is supposed to be a new and exciting journey of self-discovery for you, not some uncomfortable, scary thing to be ashamed of." Chloe rocked back and forth in an exaggerated motion, tilting Max left and right, who giggled into Chloe's shoulder in response. Chloe smiled at that. "You can keep things like your wild sex fantasies private, no prob. I know Steph does."

"Hidden so well you'll never find it," was Steph's reply, not looking up from her notes.

Max snickered at that, then nodded. "Okay."

Chloe pulled back and, with a soft touch to her chin, tilted Max's head up to face her. "Just don't forget what I told you before: you need help, you need to talk, even about sexy stuff, we're always here for you. We," she pointed towards Steph with her thumb, "got you back. Rach, too."

"I won't." Max gave the two a smile. "Thanks."

Steph marked her place in her textbook and set it aside, then looked up with a soft smile of her own. "How's the homework coming along?"

"Really well." Max set her journal back on her desk. "I finished my Cult Anthro assignment and just sent off my report to Miss Carter about Dana's interview."

"Dana, huh?" Chloe turned to the D/S journal on Max's desk. "Did she give you a lot of good info?" she asked, slowly reaching for the journal, making absolutely no effort to disguise her actions.

"Yes," Max replied, giving Chloe's arm a smack, making her withdraw. "Just like everyone. She was really sweet and told me all about levels of intimacy."

Steph nodded. "Nice." She smirked as she watched Chloe go for another slow grab. "She tell you about being a Service sub?"

"Um. Yes." Max smacked Chloe's hand away with a smile, then stepped forward to bar any further attempts. "I take it she told you before?"

"Yup. When she was in Theater, she'd often give her fellow actors and some of the stagehands shoulder rubs. Super sweet. I asked her about it when she gave me one."

"And totally crushed on her afterwards," Chloe added with a smirk.

Max watched as Steph blushed slightly and turned away. "Really attractive girl gives me a shoulder rub, of course I'm gonna crush on her a bit." She turned back and lifted a finger. "But, I'm proud to say I didn't embarrass myself by asking out a straight girl."

"For once."

Steph flipped Chloe the bird. "Oh, fuck you."

Max giggled, then covered her mouth with her hands. "Sorry. I'm not laughing you, I promise."

"No, it's good," Steph said with a wave. "I know how ridiculous I am at times. Most people have a type, like blondes or brunettes. My type seems to be 'has a pulse.'"

Max snorted while Chloe gave out a loud laugh. Steph grinned, then turned when Rachel walked back in, who smiled at the positive energy in the room. "What'd I miss?"

Chloe grinned. "Just our resident Lesbian Thespian crying to the heavens that there aren't any girls out that who match her type."

"Stop hanging out at cemeteries, then," Rachel quipped, making Max burst out laughing. Rachel grinned at Steph's double middle finger and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist. "Hey, babe."

"Hey, yourself." Chloe's expression softened as she gazed into Rachel's eyes, then tilted her head down to give her girlfriend a rather sensual kiss. That kept going.

And going

And going.

The mirth slipped from Max's face as, once again, she was mesmerized at the sight of her two friends Frenching right in front of her. She flushed red, shifting from one foot to the other, but couldn't turn away. Dog, how horrible was she to want to keep watching this utter, wanton display of affection? Was this okay or was she really turning into a perv? She bit her bottom lip, suddenly nervous, and glanced towards Steph, only to blink. Steph was looking right at her. As Max watched, Steph gave her a wide, open-mouthed smile, nodded her head slowly, and winked. Then, still smiling and nodding, raised both hands, made peace signs with her fingers, and abruptly mashed them together in the most ludicrous pantomime of scissoring Max had ever seen.

Max couldn't help it: she cracked the fuck up.

Chloe and Rachel broke apart at the sound and turned towards Max, who had collapsed to the floor in front of her couch, laughing uproariously. They quickly turned to Steph, who had stopped all motion but was still holding her pose and facial expression. When she noticed Chloe and Rachel looking at her, she dropped her hands and shrugged. "What? Not like you weren't gonna."

Rachel and Chloe took one look at each other, nodded, then swarmed Steph, who tried to scramble away far, far too late. She shrieked as Rachel and Chloe's fingers dug into her sides, tickling her mercilessly, Steph's laughter mixing with Max's along with cries of "Stop! No more! Mercy!!"

Several minutes later (at one point, Max saw Dana pop her head inside, likely curious as to what was happening, and when Max had given her a bright smile and a wave, gave Max a thumbs up in response and left), Rachel and Chloe had their fill of revenge and stood from the bed, watching as Steph sat up and tried to rearrange her clothing that had gone askew. "Assholes. Now I have to pee." She had a wide smile on her face, though.

Rachel matched the grin. "Serves you right. But yeah, I got done with my first round of Theater practice and wanted to tackle my Calc assignment. Are you up to shifting subjects for a bit, give me a hand?"

"Sure." Steph knew that Math wasn't Rachel's strong suit, never mind she still got As. It just took a lot more studying and hard work than some other classes, something she understood. "Let me take care of business first. Be right back."

Steph rose from the bed and quickly ducked out of the room. Rachel turned to Max and gave her a hand, helping her rise to her feet. "Didn't mean to completely disrupt your studying."

"No, it's good," Max replied with a shake of her head. "I needed to take a short break from staring the screen, anyway. And laughing with you guys is a lot more fun than just staring at the walls."

"Whatcha got left to do?" Chloe asked.

"Um." Max thought back. "The reading for English and Photography. But I'm waiting for Kate to come back to do the Photography part since we also need a photo and we were going to do one together."

Rachel gave her a smile. "Nearly all caught up, then. That's great!"

"Yeah," Max replied with a nod. "It's a nice change of pace, all right. I still have to get another interview in today, though."

Chloe pointed a thumb at herself. "Wanna do me next?"

Max considered the offer, the innuendo flying right over her head. "Um, I'd like to wait a bit longer before doing you." She shuffled. "If that's okay. I'm just not ready yet."

"Duh," Chloe answered with a small grin. "Whenever you're ready. No need to rush into doing me. Gotta build up to it, practice with the others first."

"Something like that," Max replied, then noticed the face Rachel was making. It was like she was trying to hold in laughter. "What?"

Steph chose that moment to step back inside. "Aaaaaand, I'm back. Ready to break your brain?"

"Yup!" Rachel turned to Steph so she wouldn't crack in front of Max.

Steph caught her expression but ignored it in favor of stacking her stuff into a nice pile. Rachel would explain herself soon enough. So instead, she turned to Max. "Rachel and I will be hip deep in Calculus homework for the next hour, probably. You gonna be okay with just Chloe?"

Max nodded. "I will. Thanks, by the way, for spending so much time with me. Even though we weren't talking or anything, it felt nice having everyone here. I just hope I wasn't a distraction."

"Not at all." Steph stepped forward and gave Max a warm hug, which was returned. "See you a bit later, okay?"

"Sure thing." Max released Steph and stepped into Rachel's waiting arms. "Good luck, guys. I hope you succeed in conquering the math beast."

"We will." Rachel stepped back and gave Chloe a quick kiss. "Be good-ish, babe, and actually study. You told me you had an AP Biology test tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," Chloe grumbled as Rachel and Steph grinned, then left. Chloe then turned to Max. "Wanna join me on the bed?"

"Sure. Just let me refill my water bottle and I'll be right back."

"Coolness."

A couple of minutes later, Max was settled next to Chloe on the bed, novel in hand. She had to read the next chapter and try to derive some meaning behind the author's words for any potential quizzes that might pop up Monday. She had to force herself to read it some nights, though, because the story was so damn depressing at times. Seriously, why couldn't all these famous authors write about happy futures instead of dystopian ones?

Shaking her head, Max turned and watched as Chloe got right back into her groove, flipping to the next page in her textbook and resuming her note-taking. She couldn't help but smile. Chloe had always been incredibly smart and did so well in school. She had a unique approach to studying and learning, and was able to come up with potential solutions to complex situations remarkably quickly. Because of that, Max was genuinely curious to hear what Chloe had to say about being a switch and her thoughts about everything D/S related. Just, not yet. Max really wasn't ready to ask her childhood friend questions about sex. It felt really weird, especially since this was someone she went trick-or-treating with when they were kids. Like, single-digit aged kids. Talk about awkward. So, yeah, like she said earlier, she was going to wait a bit longer to do Chloe.

Wait.

Do Chloe?

…

"OW!" The smack to the back of her head wasn't painful at all, really, but it was rather surprising. Chloe jerked her head in Max's direction. "Da fuck?!"

Max tried to glare at Chloe but had a bad feeling her extremely red face wasn't all that intimidating. "I am not 'doing you,' you jerk!"

It took a second for the significance of Max's words to hit, but when they did, Chloe smirked. "Well, not with that attitude you're not." She watched, amused as hell, as Max's eyes widened in indignation? Surprise? Shock? Whatever it was, it made Max unbelievably cute. Still, cute or no, when Max reared her hand back to take another whack at Chloe's head, this time armed with her book, Chloe knew that studying was gonna have to wait a few minutes longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came up with this chapter title long before I came up with the chapter itself. ;-) Technically, I could've cut out everything but Max's portion, but I really wanted to have more Miss Carter in the story and had way too much fun writing Victoria, Courtney, and Taylor's scene to leave it on the cutting room floor. I actually learned way more than probably necessary about restaurants in and around the Tillamook, OR area, though the name of the bistro, Coffee, Tea, & You, was my invention.
> 
> I recently spent quite a bit of time contemplating the direction I was taking this fic and I've come to the following conclusion: I still don't have an end goal! XD I'm just having way too much fun writing this story, getting to know these characters, and putting them together to see what they say to each other. But, despite having no end goal, I do want to reach the following milestones:
> 
> 1\. reveal Max's role  
> 2\. have that group meeting where Max finally realizes just how many people are interested in her  
> 3\. finish everyone's interviews  
> 4\. put Max on some romantic dates with the girls
> 
> Possible long-term plans include:  
> 1\. going to a Vortex party, possibly a Halloween costume party deal  
> 2\. actual drama, but not relationship garbage (I can't reveal too much yet)  
> 3\. Max spends Thanksgiving break in Arcadia Bay  
> 4\. winter break shenanigans  
> 5\. D/s smut
> 
> I want to thank all of you for continuing to read! It means so much to me that there are so many people who enjoy this story. I still have a lot of story to tell so I hope you stick around!


	34. Afternoon Delight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit later than I would've liked but there's been some IRL developments that have affected my sleep severely and, as a result, my head hasn't been screwed on straight enough to word good. Editing, also, took a bit longer than usual. I hope you enjoy, though!
> 
> Hop on over to <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/> if you'd like to find out which Worthy character would fuck a clone of him/herself!

Kate stepped off of the city bus after thanking the driver, receiving a tip of his hat and a smile in return. Once on the side walk, she turned and gave a small goodbye wave to the child that kept her company on the ride, receiving a bright, friendly wave in return. A moment later, the bus rumbled away and Kate stretched a bit, then started back to Blackwell, a smile on her face. So far, today had been perfect. The sermon had been a good one, Bible study was informative, and she noticed even more people had volunteered for Meals On Wheels this afternoon. Niyah, the woman in charge, had pulled her aside to personally thank her for not just her service but encouraging others to join as well.

"You're most welcome, but I'm afraid that's not me at all," Kate had replied. "I simply do what I can when I can. In fact, I wish I could do more."

"You're a student at Blackwell, so of course your schedule is very busy," Niyah responded. "We greatly appreciate all the time you're able to commit. But, word's been spreading in your church about your volunteer activities after service. That has, in turn, inspired so many more in your congregation to join and assist, the youth group especially. In fact, if any more people start showing up, we'll actually have to create a rotating schedule to make sure everyone has their turn."

Kate smiled at the recollection. Having too many volunteers was always preferable to not having enough. She could only hope and pray that when she graduated and left Arcadia Bay, the volunteering would continue.

She climbed the stairs to the girls' floor and made her way down the hall. Seeing Max's door was open, she made a slight detour and peeked inside, then grinned at the warm scene before her. Chloe was laying on the couch, head in Rachel's lap, the two sharing ear buds as they both read from different books. Judging by their covers, both books were literature assignments for some class or another. Max and Steph were seated side by side on the bed. Steph was reading while Max was slumped against Steph's shoulder, asleep, her own novel resting in her lap. Kate raised a hand to her mouth but couldn't stop the giggle that came up. It was too cute a sight!

Steph caught the giggle and raised her head, then smiled. "Hey, Kate," she whispered. She set the book down and waved her inside. "Getting back from church? Max mentioned something about it."

"Yes," Kate answered softly, stepping into the room. "And volunteer work. It was a good day." She looked around, seeing Chloe and Rachel notice her as well. "How's studying?"

"Real good, despite all appearances to the contrary," Rachel said just as quietly as she plucked out the ear bud, letting Chloe rise to a seated position. "When we got back from lunch, Max started her reading assignment again, then, one by one, we all joined her with our own books." She smirked and nodded her head towards the still-zonked Max. "She lasted as long as she could but, well, I don't think she likes the book very much."

Kate smiled. "While I don't doubt that, it's likely because Max has a tendency to zone out or fall asleep if she stays too still for long periods of time. It's happened a few times in English and Photography. She explained to me at lunch one time that when she studies on her own, she takes frequent breaks to break up the monotony and stay on track, though she hasn't quite figured out the right balance for reading assignments. Either she doesn't sit still enough and doesn't retain anything or sits still too long and goes to sleep."

Chloe nodded. "Makes sense. She was kind of the same way when we were kids and we sat down to watch TV or movies. If it was something she'd seen before, no matter if it was her favorite, she'd fall asleep unless we were actually talking about it."

"I'll have to remember that if we ever have a movie night. But now, it's time to wake up sleeping beauty," Kate said, stepping closer to the bed.

"Do you have to?" Steph asked with a slight pout.

"I'm afraid so," Kate answered, her face apologetic. "Max asked me to stop by after church so we can do our Photography assignment together and actually asked me to wake her if she was asleep."

"Well, okay." Steph grinned. "But only because it's you."

"Are you going to wake sleeping beauty with a kiss?" Rachel asked, a wide smile on her face.

Kate blushed slightly. "That... wouldn't be right. Not until our relationship has grown to that level."

"Planning for the future." Chloe grinned. "I like it." Much to her amusement, Kate turned a bit more red.

"That's not what I--" Kate stopped as realization struck. She turned to Chloe and put her hands on her hips. "You're teasing me," she stated, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Chloe gave her a thumbs up. "You're too cute not to tease, Great Kate. I can't help myself."

It had been a while since anyone had called her cute. Kate smiled at the compliment. "Thank you." Uncertain what else to say, Kate instead turned to Max, who had somehow not woken from all the conversation even if they were being quiet, and placed a hand on Max's leg, giving it a gentle shake. "Max? It's Kate. Time to wake up, dear."

"Hhnnnngh," was Max's rather intelligible reply, who lifted her head from Steph's shoulder and sat somewhat upright. "What time is it?" she asked, voice a bit rough.

"A bit after 3:00."

Max nodded as she covered her mouth, yawning widely. "Okay." Eyes still closed, she lifted her arms and stretched, letting out a long groan in the process. She dropped her arms and blinked, bringing Kate into focus, then smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Kate gave Max a bright smile. "I'm going to head to my room and change, give Alice some attention, then we can head out. I'd say, thirty minutes?"

"Sounds good," Max said with a nod.

It took Kate a moment to actually move towards the door, though. She was surprisingly reluctant to leave Max's side, wanting nothing more than to crawl onto the bed and sit on the other side of Max. She had to remind herself that she was going to spend plenty of time with Max in very short order. "Okay, then. See you in a bit."

With that, Kate said her goodbyes to the others in the room, then left, not seeing the knowing looks that Chloe, Rachel, and Steph all shared with one another. Max, of course, missed the looks as well as she slid from the bed and yawned again, eyes closed. "You guys doing okay?" she asked, voice slightly muffled by her hand shielding her mouth.

"We should be asking you that," Steph pointed out. "But yeah, we're good."

"Cool." Max dropped her hand and turned a smile to the rest of the room. "I take it you all got more reading done than me."

"Eh," Chloe said with a shrug. "Maybe a bit but it's Sunday. Lazy day. You have the rest of the afternoon after your photo thing with Kate to do your reading."

Max nodded. "True. I can try to do the reading while I'm doing laundry this evening."

"What's the Photography assignment, anyway?" Rachel asked.

"Decay." Max wrinkled her nose a bit. "I think Mr. Jefferson wants the class to push out of their comfort zones or something with this assignment."

"Most likely," Steph replied, "but since he also gave our class that assignment, it's probably part of his curriculum."

"Speaking of which, what did you photograph for the assignment when you took the class?" Max asked both Rachel and Steph.

Steph smirked. "Chloe's truck."

Max laughed as Chloe gave Steph a very put-upon look. "Dude, seriously?"

"I wound up taking a trip to Seattle for my shot," Rachel answered, smiling at Chloe's pout. "It took a bit of hunting but I found something that reflected urban decay. Sold it pretty well in class, I thought."

"That's pretty smart," Max said with a nod. "I think I'm going to take a more traditional approach, though. When Kate's ready, we're going to the woods behind the track and hunt for something there. There's bound to be something."

Rachel smiled. "I like it. In our class," she indicated Steph, "too few people submitted nature shots of any sort. You'll have to show us what you find."

"I will," Max replied, watching as Steph slid from the bed.

Steph saw Max's curious expression and explained. "Since you'll be heading out soon, I figure I'll head back to my room." She placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "But, remember, if you want to hang or you start feeling off for any reason, you stop in, okay? No chances. You won't be disturbing me, okay?"

"I will," Max repeated, her expression softening at the care in Steph's voice.

"Good. Now, c'mere."

Max smiled widely as Steph pulled her into a warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around Steph, her newest, awesome friend. "Thanks so much. For being here, for watching out for me, for being my friend."

Steph heard the heartfelt emotion in Max's voice and had to clear her throat. "You're welcome." She pulled back and gave Max a grin. "And thanks for being mine, too."

Rachel and Chloe rose from the couch and took turns giving Max hugs. "We're gonna head out, too, then," Rachel said. "I'll probably tag along with Chloe, get my own laundry done at her place. Don't know about dinner plans yet so text me with whatever you decide and we'll go from there."

"Sure thing."

"You need us, you call us," Chloe said, clasping her hand on Max's shoulder. "No bullshit. Okay?"

Max nodded. "I will. Thanks, again, for an awesome night and an awesome afternoon."

"Anytime."

 

* * *

 

A half-hour later found Max and Kate walking side by side, approaching the crosswalk in front of Blackwell. For once, Kate wasn't wearing her usual blouse, skirt, and cardigan. Instead, she was wearing good walking shoes, jeans, a thick, long-sleeved t-shirt, and a light jacket. She also carried a small bag that housed her digital camera. Max gave her a look as they started across the street. "I didn't want to say anything when I first saw you but I honestly never thought you owned any jeans."

Kate shrugged a bit. "They're not my usual fare, that's for certain. I blame my mother. 'A proper lady should always dress the part' was something I heard often. We weren't barred from wearing pants or jeans, just highly encouraged to wear skirts and dresses instead." Kate and Max started making their way around the track. "I figured that since you mentioned going into the woods, a skirt and blouse might not be the best choice of attire."

"Definitely." Max smiled as a memory came to her. "I remember when Chloe and I were kids, we made a tree fort in the woods. A pirate hideout. William, Chloe's dad, helped, of course. Not like we knew anything about construction but he did give us free reign to the design. It was a ton of fun but, as you might expect, it wasn't a clean task, dragging planks of wood and tools through the woods." Max grinned. "There was one time we were working on the fort when it started to rain. William had to drag us from the fort because we weren't thinking about how wet and dirty it was, just how neat it'd be to work on our ship in stormy seas. So yeah, two rambunctious girls who didn't want to come inside, being dragged away from play time by the big, mean parent, in the rain that was making everything wet and slippery. Needless to say, we wiped out."

Kate giggled at the mental image. "I can imagine the mess."

Max snickered as well. "When William stood up, he raised his arms and suddenly, we were being chased all the way home by Bigfoot himself. The only thing that saved the carpet at Chloe's was Joyce was waiting on near the back porch with an arm full of towels. No one was allowed inside until we took off our shoes, socks, and the worst of the clothes. Chloe and I had to take showers right away, too." Max turned and smiled. "Good times."

"Makes me wish my sisters and I had done stuff like that. We weren't allowed, as you can imagine. No proper lady climbs trees and all that. That didn't stop us from having some fun, though, when we got our bikes. It was the one time we could wear pants and get away with it." Kate smirked. "Ride a bike in a skirt and you're bound to flash someone. Not lady-like at all. Even mother couldn't argue the point."

"Bikes were freedom back in the day, right?"

Kate grinned. "Absolutely."

The pair continued to chat as they rounded the track and walked the foot trail to the woods that surrounded the football field. "Okay, so 'decay.' I figure there ought to be something here that fits the bill. Fallen tree, discarded rubbish, something."

"I'm surprised you haven't asked Chloe to take you back to the junkyard," Kate pointed out. "Plenty of decay there."

"I thought of it but I used the American Rust for the last assignment and didn't want to repeat myself. Otherwise, I might come across as a one-trick pony with no imagination."

Kate hummed. "You're channeling Victoria's words, aren't you."

Max sighed as she stepped around a hole in the dirt. "Yeah. I mean, I tried not to let her insults get to me but when you hear it every single day, it tends to stick, you know?"

"I do." Kate placed a hand on Max's arm. "I'm just glad she's stopped. Her and Taylor both."

"Courtney, too, if yesterday was any indication."

"And don't forget Nathan. He apologized Thursday, right?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I'd forgotten. Man, only Thursday. So much has happened so fast, it seems."

"Well, in a very real way, so much has." Kate and Max carefully stepped over a large, protruding root, then ventured further down the path. "It was less than a week ago that you had... Let's just call it your incident. And afterwards, you got your D/S assignment. Ever since then, you've not only done all your normal school work but your new assignment as well. Your plate has been quite full with less down time." Kate looked to Max. "I know you've said it hasn't been overwhelming. I only hope that remains true."

"So far, it's been perfect. I'm just glad that everyone has had time to help, though when I spoke to Miss Carter this morning, she gave me instructions on what to do if no one was available that particular day."

"She was at school today?"

"Yeah. I think she comes in on Sundays to catch up on work but she must use the track to work out 'cause I when I managed to take her photo, she was coming from there, dressed in work out clothes."

"A photo of Miss Carter?" Kate smiled. "You have to show me when we get back."

"I will. I think it came out pretty good, too."

"I can't wait. Ooo, hold on." Kate stopped and reached into her carry bag, withdrawing her camera. "That looks interesting."

Max looked up and quickly noticed what caught Kate's eye. "The tree?"

"Yes. The formation of the branches, the lichen on the bark, the knot high up on the trunk, all of it together makes it look like a person reaching towards the heavens." Kate lifted her camera, crouched down, then snapped two photos, one with a flash, the other without. "Not good for the assignment but definitely something I can use for an illustration later."

"How has your project been coming along, anyway?"

"Slowly. All the school work I have means there's not a lot of free time to work on it but I still find inspiration all around me." Kate turned and gave Max a soft smile. "You, for example."

Max blinked. "Me? But, I don't do anything."

"You do far more than you realize." Kate tucked her camera back into her bag. "You've been a quiet source of inspiration for me ever since we became friends. Your loyalty, your friendship, the way you make me smile and laugh. More than one of my characters have been based on you and most importantly, the way you make me feel."

"Um." Max could feel the heat creeping up her neck. "I... Thanks? I don't know what to say." She shuffled in place. "Sorry."

"Shh, don't apologize." Kate stepped forward, giving Max's arm a gentle squeeze. "I didn't say that to make you feel uncomfortable, just to let you know how important you are to me. There's a reason I asked you to be my first kiss, after all."

Max looked down and shifted in place but felt her own smile growing. "Um, you're important to me, too." She peeked up. "So much."

Kate felt her spirit soar at Max's words. Not that she thought she was unimportant or anything but still, hearing Max actually say that aloud was incredibly uplifting. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome."

The two shared a quiet moment, then mutually decided to continue their trek. They found themselves walking a bit closer together than before, though. Eventually, Kate broke the companionable silence. "Was there anything in particular you were looking for?"

"Not really, but there is something I'm not looking for."

"Oh?"

"Animal remains." Max shrugged. "I mean, I know it'd be perfect for the assignment. It just seems pretty morbid, that's all."

"Hmm. I agree. I was hoping to perhaps find some discarded fruit or something similar, just not something in a trash bin. That just didn't seem right."

"I know what you mean. Seems artificial somehow."

"Exactly."

Max looked up and noticed a familiar tree up ahead. "Wait. I recognize where we are." Without thinking, she reached over and took Kate's hand. "C'mon, let's head this way."

Kate glanced at their joined hands and couldn't help but smile. "You do?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. I've been here quite a few times on my own. Sometimes, to clear my head. Sometimes, hunting for a good photo. One time, I went exploring and found the perfect peaceful spot. Funny thing is, it's pretty close to campus but not that many people seem to know about it. It's right up ahead."

She and Kate walked for a bit, maneuvering around some denser brush, until they finally broke into a clearing. Kate blinked and smiled, taking in the glade, the green of the grass, the wide pond, the various trees all around. The only thing that was missing was the unicorn. "Wow."

Max turned and smiled. "Pretty neat, right?"

"This is so cool." Kate released Max's hand and retrieved her camera. "I'm definitely taking shots of this place."

"Just don't go too far forward forward," Max warned. "The ground gets pretty spongy towards the pond and you could lose a shoe."

Kate glanced at the ground beneath her feet, then looked back up. "Thanks for the heads up."

"You're welcome."

Max watched as Kate took a few steps forward, testing the ground as she went, then crouched down to snap two photos of the pond, again, one with a flash, the other without. She then stood and pointed the camera nearly straight up to snap a few photos of the sunlight streaming through the canopy above. Max looked up as well, knowing it was going to be a really nice photo, though the best time to catch the sun rays were a couple of hours ago. It'd still be good for Kate's reference photos, though.

Leaving Kate to her own devices for the moment, Max made her way around one side of the small pond, being careful to avoid the mud. The first time she'd visited this place, she got too close and sank an inch into the wet soil. She'd been lucky, though, and had most of her weight on her other foot, meaning she didn't sink in completely. When she pulled her foot free, she tested the depth of the mud with a stick and estimated it sank a good five inches deep, more than enough to bury her poor Chucks if she tried walking there. As it was, she had spent a decent chunk of time clearing off the mud from the sole after returning to Blackwell.

When Max was two-thirds the way around the pond, her eyes caught something. "Hey, Kate," she called out. "I think I found a good subject."

"Coming." Kate carefully made her way to where Max stood, then looked towards where Max was pointing. "Oh, very nice."

It was the remains of a tree, long since dead and fallen over, partially covered in moss, but very much decaying. The two approached the remains, each examining it from different angles. Kate nodded. "I like it. A good balance of decay and life, I think. Cuts down on the morbidness of the subject matter."

"I agree."

Kate lifted her camera and took aim, but didn't take a photo. Instead, she looked down, being careful with her footing, and stepped to the left. "I'm going to try and find a good angle with what light there is."

"Okay. I'm going to circle this way," Max pointed in the opposite direction, "see if I can get a different angle. I don't want to duplicate your exact shot."

"Good idea."

They both got to work, looking, angling, shifting, neither taking a photo. Not yet. Dissatisfied with this side, Max walked around the remains to see if the opposing side was any better, then stopped. "Wowsers."

"Hmm?"

"Check it out." Max waited for Kate to round the tree and pointed towards a dead tree trunk that had several mushrooms growing from the top. "I like this one a lot. It's like it's a fairy home."

Kate smiled. "How lovely!" She looked towards the fallen tree and back again. "How about you take a photo of the trunk and I'll take one of the tree. That way, we're guaranteed to not have the same shot for Mr. Jefferson."

"Great idea."

Each split off and worked the angles, the lighting, the framing, to get just the right shot. Max entered her zone, phasing out the forest sounds, Kate's movements, everything, and concentrated on the trunk in front of her. Finding just the right spot, she got down on one knee, not noticing the coolness of the ground seep through her jeans. She leaned in close, held her breath, then let it out slowly. Not satisfied, she stretched out her other leg as a counter balance and lowered herself even closer to the ground. She leaned in a bit further, elbow nearly touching the ground, tilted the camera up slightly, froze, then pressed the shutter button.

A flash and whir of the camera marked her shot as complete. Very carefully, she reached forward and took the photo in hand, then lowered the camera. She shifted her stance to stand, then paused. There, not a foot away, was a mushroom. Several mushrooms. Max eased herself back and noticed that the trunk was surrounded by a delicate ring of mushrooms. A fairy ring. When she realized she hadn't gotten close enough to break the ring, Max let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Still, all was not safe. Max moved carefully and eased her camera back into her messenger bag along with her photo. She fished around inside and withdrew a granola bar. Not wanting to litter, she tore the package open, took the bar out, and placed it just outside the ring. An offering. And a thank you for the photo.

Max put the wrapper inside her bag. She'd dispose of it properly when she got to Blackwell. She rose, then turned to Kate who was looking back towards the pond, camera up. Max smiled as she approached. "I got my shot. Did you?"

"Yes." Kate lowered her camera. "I took a few, just in case, but I know one of them will be good for class." She put her camera away and gave Max a soft smile. "Shall we head back?"

"Sure."

Kate and Max made their way to the glade and towards the direction they entered from, Max pointing out a couple of landmarks visible from this side that pointed towards the trail. This time, it was Kate that took Max's hand as they navigated their way back, though when they cleared the brush and reached the path, she was incredibly reluctant to let go. So, she didn't. Figuring that Max would eventually let go when she was ready, Kate started a conversation about favorite childhood movies, which Max happily joined in. Kate smiled to herself as Max also brought up the more recent _Tinker Bell_ movies, commenting that while the fae in the movies weren't anything like the folklore of old, she kind of liked their happy and whimsical tone. Kate, who had witnessed Max leaving the peace offering next to the fairy ring, wasn't at all surprised to find Max enjoyed them.

It wasn't until they had crossed Blackwell's track and reached the crosswalk that Kate realized Max had never let go of her hand. She blushed slightly and wondered, briefly, if it meant anything. She wasn't entirely certain. She loved spending time with Max and their just-concluded trip through the woods was both relaxing and enjoyable, even if it was mainly for homework. Kate waited until they crossed the street and climbed the short set of stairs to Blackwell proper before she was able to screw up her courage and give Max's hand a soft squeeze.

The sensation of Max squeezing right back filled Kate with an incredibly warm feeling. She glanced at Max and gave her a shy smile, which was returned. No more words were spoken as they made their way to the Prescott Dormitory, both blushing just a bit, neither willing to break the silence.

Spending the afternoon with her best friend, walking through the woods hand in hand, just the two of them. It was almost romantic. And though this was a bit more forward than normal for her, Kate really didn't think the others would mind.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone liked the return of Kate!
> 
> Having Kate hang out with Max and take photos with her grew as a result of me wanting to write her interview but also realizing it was a bit of a jump forward in time. Perhaps a bit too much. When I started wondering what could fill the time, I opted against doing another meal, like dinner, for a handful of tiny reasons. Then, the idea occurred to me to have them take photos together. It would show their growing affection for one another and also demonstrate that though Kate is an illustrator, she was accepted into Jefferson's class for a reason. She has skill with the camera and does good work, and she does enjoy it. It's just her passion lies in her drawing.
> 
> I foresee Kate's interview coming next. It's just, I wasn't able to work on it as much as I wanted to for reasons (see the beginning notes). I sincerely hope the chapter won't get delayed because of that but only time will tell.


	35. Marsh, Kate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, after a monstrous delay that I honestly never saw coming, here is chapter 35! It's my ardent hope that my readers are still out there and that this chapter is as good as my previous ones.
> 
> If you feel the urge, stop on by <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>. I'd love to see you visit!

When Max and Kate returned to the girls' dorm, Max broke off to go to her room and gather her Photography folder and textbook. She rejoined Kate and together, they viewed Kate's photos on her laptop, debating which one was the best match for the assignment. After some back and forth, they narrowed the choices down to two: one with deep shadow and one with a varying focal length. Unable to decide, Kate printed off both off onto photo paper then re-examined them, knowing that looking at a physical photo was different than staring at a digital screen. Kate ultimately decided on the photo with deep shadows. "The sharp contrast between the green of the moss and the darkness of the shadow, to me, seems to match the theme better," she explained.

"Good point," Max agreed with a nod. "But you should definitely keep the other one, too. It's just too good a photo to let go."

"Oh, definitely. I have a tendency to keep nearly all the photos I take for class, even if I don't use them for an assignment, because they might be good reference material later. When I get a chance to work more on my personal project, they'll definitely come in handy."

"You'll have to show me your work in progress at some point."

"I will, once I've made some actual progress," Kate said with a smile.

The pair then worked on the written portion of their Photography assignment, Kate allowing Alice to explore the room in the meantime. Fortunately, as it was a subject they both knew and enjoyed, they finished relatively quickly. Once Max was done, she closed her Photography notebook, stacked her textbook on top, then wondered what to do next. She was done with nearly everything else. Okay, there was laundry, but she typically did that later in the evening. It was still a bit early for dinner. She could try reading more of her novel but then again, after finishing an assignment, she usually took a short break. Maybe some guitar, perhaps some YouTube. Hmm...

Kate, in the meantime, took her own homework materials and set them on her desk. She recalled from an earlier conversation that Max was completely caught up with all of her assignments with her reading assignment for AP English being the last holdout. Theoretically, that meant that Max could head back to her own room while Kate did other things, like practice her violin, finish the sketch she began earlier, perhaps even work on her personal project. But, that also meant Max leaving and she was surprisingly reluctant to let her go. It had been such a perfect day so far, being with Max: taking their photos, walking in the woods, working together on their Photography homework. She didn't really want that to end.

A thought popped in her head making Kate blink: was she being... clingy? Oh, gosh, she hoped not. She hadn't ever been on a date yet, not to mention that she and the others had yet to tell Max about their mutual attraction towards her. How awkward would that be, to not even ask Max out, and yet she was already the clingy girlfriend. What would the others think? A mental image suddenly formed in her head: cartoon-Kate latched onto Max's back like some demented koala, with cartoon-Chloe, Rachel, and Steph, all trying to trying to pry her off with an over-sized crowbar. She raised her hand to cover her mouth but couldn't contain her rather loud snort of amusement.

The sound of Kate trying to stifle her laughter roused Max from her thoughts. She raised her head to see Kate covering her mouth but unable to hide the wide smile she wore. Max grinned at the mirth in Kate's eyes. "Gonna let me in on the joke?"

Kate covered her cheeks with her palms. My word, that was a funny mental image! "I suddenly pictured Chloe, Rachel, Steph, and myself as cartoon characters with you still being normal, wearing a long-suffering look as each of us ran around or crawled on top of you like a gaggle of demented pets," she explained, omitting a few key details. "And what sort of trouble we'd get into while you tried keeping us corralled."

Max laughed. "That's cute! You'll have to draw that out and show us later."

"I think I will," Kate said with a bright grin. And had a brainstorm. "But since we're finished with everything else, would you like to do my interview?"

"Oh, sure! If you're still okay with it?"

"Of course," Kate replied. "In fact, if you'd like, I could make us a pot of tea and we can relax while we talk, see where the conversation leads us."

"I'd love that." Max stood and quickly gathered her stuff. "Let me take this back to my place, grab my other stuff, and I'll help set things up, okay?"

"Certainly."

A few minutes later, Kate and Max were once again seated next to each other on Kate's couch, their green tea steeping nicely. Kate had given Max free reign to choose the tea while Kate selected the table cloth, this one a pale red color with a variety of white flowers decorating the surface. Max thought it was a lovely choice. And despite the subject matter they were going to discuss, she wasn't the least bit nervous. Not in such a warm environment and certainly not with Kate calmly biting into her biscuit. Cookie? Something. Max took a bite of her own, careful to keep her dessert plate beneath her chin to catch any crumbs. Whatever they were called, they were tasty.

As serene as Kate appeared on the outside, though, she was a bit nervous on the inside. Any D/S-related subject had always been raised at home, with her parents, or here at Blackwell, with her teacher, and no one else. To talk about it outside of either of those environments was quite different. It was the main reason why she offered the tea: she figured the relaxing ritual of making and sharing tea with Max would act as a calming influence and so far, it seemed to be doing the trick.

Setting her own plate aside, Kate wiped her mouth with her napkin. "You mentioned yesterday that you had interviewed Steph on Friday, right?"

Max nodded, then swallowed. "Yeah. And yesterday, I interviewed Dana. That makes five in total so far."

"Can you tell me what all you've learned so far? Nothing too detailed, I don't want you to share something that's private. But in general."

"Sure." Max opened her folder and withdrew her chart. "This is kind of my cheat sheet. I jot down the highlights from my interviews here to remind myself of the most important points."

Kate nodded. "Excellent idea."

Max beamed at the compliment. "Thanks. Now, let's see... Rachel was my first and I'm so glad it was her. Talking to her broke the ice with the whole thing and made it easier to speak to others later. She explained that a lot of the D/S stuff is very subjective, so don't get too hung up on terminology. She also explained that slave collars aren't permanent and can be just for fun. She really emphasized consent and liked that my assignment stressed consent so much."

"That reminds me of something my father told me a while ago: respect is the foundation on which all relationships are built. Without it, consent isn't possible."

"That's a really good point. Um." Max shuffled a bit and withdrew her notebook, turning to a blank page. "I'm going to jot that down real quick."

"And while you do that, I'm going to pour us some tea."

"Okay." As Max wrote, Kate poured her, then herself, a cup. Max took the proffered cup and saucer with a quiet, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Together, the two carefully blew across their cups, taking a tiny sip. "Sugar?"

"Not this time," Max answered, "since I have cookies here. Biscuits?" She motioned towards the sweet treat in question. "Which is it, again?"

"Both, depending if you're in the US or in Europe." Kate stirred a lump of sugar in her tea. "When I checked on that myself, I very helpfully read that Biscoff cookies are a type of shortcrust biscuit." She gave smiled at Max's eyeroll. "I just call them cookies to save myself the headache."

"Good plan." Max took another careful sip. "Ah. Nice." She set the cup down on her saucer and glanced at the chart in her lap. "Victoria was second and she explained what a scene was and the importance of safewords. She explained that not everything is a scene and not every sexual encounter requires that level of negotiation but for beginners especially, it's really important. Taylor was the first sub I spoke with and, amongst other things, spoke about D/S facilities and the fact that the Dommes and subs that work there aren't always volunteers but paid and licensed workers, something I never knew.

"Steph was a bit different. We spoke a lot about her own self-discovery, how it took a while for her to find her Domme nature. How she had taken a lot of classes to find out. Hearing her talk about it was the first time I really considered the idea of taking a sub course later, like what I mentioned earlier today. Made it not so intimidating. Dana, I spoke with last night. We talked about intimacy and how it's okay to have different levels with different people. She said that if I do take some sub courses to look her up as she has, too, and might be able to tutor me on some things." Max took another sip of her tea, enjoying the flavor. "So good. Oh, and she also mentioned something I'd never heard of before but seemed to match me dead on: touch-starved."

"I remember hearing about that," Kate said with a slight nod. "During a Bible study, surprisingly enough. We were talking about taking the historical and cultural context of the passages we were reading into consideration, how life then isn't the same as life now, a couple of thousand years later and several thousand miles away. How our Western sensibilities aren't universal and in other places, casual touching was way more common."

Max nodded. "That's what I found, too, when I read up on it later. And how being touch-starved could be alleviated by being close to friends, as long as everyone was comfortable with it. Again, layers of intimacy."

Kate hummed as she took another sip of her tea, then gave Max a soft smile. "I take it being around Dana and Rachel have helped there," she said, knowing how much those two enjoyed casual touch.

"And you," Max added. "When I went to write up my report for Dana's interview, I thought about my level of intimacy with you and how much I like it. Even if we don't touch as much as, say, Rachel, it's still perfect because it's you." She gave Kate a little shrug and a smile. "It's like I have just the right level with everyone."

Kate could feel her cheeks heat slightly at Max's praise and gave her a soft smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Max replied, taking the last bite of her cookie.

"I like how everyone has given you such different information," Kate said, after taking another sip of tea. "Having a nice, wide range of subjects must be really helpful to you, especially since you're so new at everything."

"It has been. It's actually been enjoyable to read up afterwards, too." Max suddenly grinned. "I just now remembered that Miss Carter made this assignment in this way as it plays to one of my strengths: my insatiable curiosity. Which is a fancy way of saying 'my nosiness.'" She smiled at Kate's giggle. "And it's so true. After my interviews, I tend to research quite a bit. Sometimes, what I find is weird or disheartening, like when I looked up that list of kinks before. But most of the time, it's just really interesting."

"That's good to hear. And how great is it that Miss Carter knew you well enough to make an assignment tailored to you."

"Yeah. Rachel mentioned that not many faculty would go this far out of their way to help a student. While I'm not sure about that, Miss Carter did, and that makes all the difference."

"She really is incredible. It's no wonder I've heard so many people talk about her, nearly always in a complimentary fashion, though some were, let's just say, less than polite."

"Rumors, Kate?" Max asked, her face the picture of exaggerated dismay. "I thought you said you didn't pay attention to rumors."

"It's not my fault that I have ears and can listen to people talking in the hallways," Kate replied in mock indignation. "And besides, what I hear aren't rumors. Not really. More like, 'She's so beautiful. She's so gorgeous. I love her physique. Please, please, please let her be gay.'" Kate grinned at Max's laugh.

"That's about what I'd expect. She, um." Max shifted in her seat. "Is it wrong to say that I think she's attractive?" she asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

Kate gave Max's hand a gentle pat. "Not wrong at all. And if you recall, I said something similar yesterday, along with most everyone else."

Max visibly relaxed at Kate's answer. "Okay."

"So," Kate began after taking a last sip of her tea, "how do you normally go about doing your interviews? Do you have a list of questions you ask, for example?"

"Not really, though I do have a checklist of sorts. Like so," Max said, offering the same chart she had showed Kate back on Friday. "I already marked you down as being a Domme because of what we spoke about Friday. But don't worry: I won't spill the details of what we discussed."

"I didn't think you would but thank you," Kate replied as she took the chart. She nodded her head and handed it back. "For sexual orientation, list me as gay."

"Sure." Max made that notation on the chart, then looked up. "Did you discover that during your Sweet Sixteen? You mentioned questioning yourself after watching _Sherlock Holmes_."

"Questioning, yes. It took me a year and a half before I finally accepted that part of myself, though. It was tough, trying to unlearn all my previous thoughts and behaviors about being a sub while also wrestling with the idea that I might like girls instead of boys." She gave Max a small smile. "Fortunately, I had a very supportive parent who cared for me deeply and constantly stressed that no matter what, he loved me. And he made absolutely certain that I knew and understood that God loved me, too. The bigotry of outsiders didn't matter."

"I take it that your mother wasn't supportive, then?" The thought was disheartening to Max.

"That's not... precisely correct." Kate leaned forward to pour herself another cup of tea. "More like, I didn't get much input from her around that time due to our strained relationship. I wasn't certain how to approach her and she was doing her best to avoid being alone with me. I discovered much later that the main reason for her avoidance was she wasn't sure how to act and behave around me. She was my mother and I was her daughter, yes, but she was also a sub while I was a Domme. Could I order her to clean my room? If she called me down to dinner, could I disobey? Would it even be considered disobedience?" Kate stirred a lump of sugar into her drink, then took a small sip. "It really messed with her notions of the proper family dynamic. Hence, the distance. I had mostly figured myself out by the time we repaired our relationship, though she did say she was proud of me for being so strong, and that she loved me, straight, gay, bi, or ace." Kate smirked. "And that no matter what, she wanted grandkids."

Max laughed at that. "And what kind of Domme are you?"

"I'm a Mother, meaning my kind of Domme is focused on being nurturing, protective, and comforting."

"Is a Mother the same as being a Daddy?" Max asked. "I've heard of that one before and figure they're the same, just different words for boys and girls."

"They're actually quite different but I'll explain in a moment. First, you should jot down that despite the connotations, roles aren't gender-based. Men can be Mothers just like woman can be Daddies."

"Wait, really?" Max then shook her head. "Never mind, that was dumb. I shouldn't have assumed."

"Trust me, that's not a dumb thing to think or assume. I thought the exact same thing when I was learning all about the various Dommes that exist while trying to find what I was."

"Oh, okay." Max jotted that down, then bit her bottom lip. "What is the difference, then? Because when I see those terms, all I can think about are actual parents."

"The main difference between the two is a Daddy is focused on discipline while a Mother is focused on being nurturing. Both care deeply for their subs; they just show it in different ways. Take Warren, for instance."

"Warren?"

"Yes. He's a calm and sweet person, and has a lot of love for his friends. But, before coming to Blackwell, he was having considerable problems because he was always told he was a Mother. He kept trying to be this nurturing person in private but it never felt comfortable to him and he had no idea why. It wasn't until he started dating Brooke and she wasn't responding well to him that he really started questioning all of his earlier teachings. And after he met with Miss Carter, it was a matter of taking courses to unlearn his earlier assumptions and finally take on his true role: a Daddy.

"I was a bit similar. Remember when I said I tried to change myself quickly?" She waited for Max to nod. "Part of what caused my stress to skyrocket was I was bound and determined to become the polar opposite of what I was. I was a Domme, not a sub, so that meant no more outward compassion, no more soft and caring words. It was time to be strict. Aloof. Or, so I assumed. But behaving that way was the antithesis of my nature and the strain was causing some bad health issues: migraines, insomnia, and depression. Eventually, and with my father's help, I took my foot off the throttle and slowed down, studied and prayed about who I was and what I was trying to accomplish, and eventually discovered my role, Mother, which fit me like a glove."

Max finished writing several notes before looking up. "How long did that take? The acceptance?"

"I didn't fully accept my Domme nature until about eight months ago. Accepting I was gay happened a couple of months after that." Kate took another sip of tea. "Struggling with both simultaneously wasn't easy, but once I came to accept myself, all parts of myself, it made so many other things incredibly easy to handle. Like, coming to Blackwell, getting a taste of being on my own, the responsibility of owning Alice, stuff like that."

Max nodded. "You mentioned Brooke and Warren. I know they're a unit and you said they were dating. I take it a Brat is a good match for a Daddy?"

"Yes. Brats need discipline and recognize that discipline as a form of caring and affection. 'I love you enough to reign you in.' The level of discipline a Brat needs greatly depends on the individual, though. From what Brooke has told me, she doesn't need much. Sometimes, firm words are enough while other times, corporal punishment is required."

Max thought back to her birthday and how Brooke's demeanor changed just from two words spoken by Juliet. Did that mean she was a Daddy, too? "So, if Brats are a perfect match for Daddies, then what's a good match for Mothers?"

"Actually, Brats aren't automatically best suited for Daddies. Again, it depends on the individual. That's not to say some pairings don't gravitate towards each other, such as Brats to Daddies or Slaves to Owners, but it's not a hard and fast rule. If Brooke, for example, needed a much heavier hand than Warren could provide, she might seek the attentions of an Owner, a Master, an Enforcer, or some other Dom whose nature is better suited for delivering such."

"Hmm." Max jotted that down along with a couple more notes, then tapped her pen against her notebook. "I never thought about it before, about roles not having to match perfectly, but it does make sense. I mean, I was told Chloe's a switch and Rachel doesn't know what kind of Domme she is, but they're both happy with each other."

"Exactly."

"I suppose that also means that Juliet may not be a Daddy."

Kate blinked. "Why would-- Oh, you're referring to how she spoke to Brooke at the party, correct?"

"Yeah. She responded so quick to Juliet, so when you made your comparisons, I immediately wondered if she was a Daddy."

"She very well could be." Kate gave Max a smile. "I suppose you'll be finding out soon enough."

"I suppose you're right," Max said with a grin.

"As for the best subs for Mothers, it's all subjective. In general, any sub who reacts well to the nurturing aspect of a Mother would likely work. So, not a Brat but perhaps a Child or Baby instead. Me, personally, I don't get too hung up on roles and how much they're supposed to match. I'd much rather take the time to find someone who accepts my own Domme nature and reacts well to it, no matter what role she has or if she even has one."

"Very smart," Max said with a nod, missing the soft implication of Kate's statement completely. "Though that does beg the question: why have roles at all, if they're so subjective?"

"Because despite the subjective nature of sex, love, romance, gender, and sexuality, roles can be very helpful, especially to the uninitiated. I'll use my youngest sister, Lynn, as an example. She's a sub and a bit young yet to have a role but suppose as she grows older, she starts having urges serve others. Right away, we can eliminate dozens of roles and focus on just the ones where doing things for others is key: Servant, Server, Attendant, Slave, etc. Very broad, yes, but a good starting point." Kate finished off her tea and set her cup and saucer onto the coffee table. "In a perfect world, her instruction would be fine-tuned as time went on, to account for her maturing nature. Sadly, the world isn't perfect and people can get pigeon-holed, even unknowingly."

"Like Warren?"

"Yes. Thankfully, Blackwell's one of the better training facilities on the West Coast and the best in Oregon. Mistakes like that are tougher to make by the faculty and staff, considering all the testing that goes on. Warren told me that after a single meeting with Miss Carter, he was pulled from his Dom class and enrolled in a different one within the hour. The only reason the mistake wasn't caught sooner was his parents opted him out of the initial testing since his role was known. Still, he's getting proper instruction now and that's all that matters."

Max placed her empty cup and saucer next to Kate's. "He mentioned that briefly to me on Thursday, changing courses. I wonder why his parents opted him out, though."

"Some parents know best and don't like any opinions to the contrary, though I'm pretty sure in his case it was just an honest mistake. Warren never said anything about pushback from his parents about the change."

"That's good to hear." Max jotted down something else when a thought occurred to her. "Um, Kate?"

"Yes?"

"I... Don't take this the wrong way, but you were allowed to tell me all that stuff about Warren, right?"

"Absolutely," Kate answered with a smile that alleviated Max's worries. "Last night, Brooke and Warren stopped by to chat. Brooke had mentioned your D/S assignment to him at dinner, though she didn't know all the details. Once he knew about it, he wanted to help but understood that maybe talking to a guy about that kind of thing would be uncomfortable to you. So, he offered to share a bit of his story with me to pass on to you."

"That's..." Max blinked. "Wowsers. That's so nice of him. Um. And Brooke didn't mind?"

"I believe it was her idea, actually. A way for you to 'get information from a Y chromosome without the hassle of a face-to-face meeting' were her exact words."

Max snorted out a laugh. "I don't know her that well but that definitely sounds like a Brooke thing to say."

"Will the information be good for your report?"

"Oh, definitely. In fact, I'm getting more and more comfortable with my lack of a role. Maybe I'll come to discover it eventually but thanks to you, Steph, Rachel, and now Warren, not knowing isn't hanging over my head like a sword of Damocles."

There was a slight pause as Kate broke out in a wide smile. "It's making me ludicrously happy to hear you use that metaphor."

"Well, hanging around you and Rachel so much, it was bound to happen eventually," Max said with a grin.

Kate giggled. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Let me think." Max looked at her chart, marked a Y in Kate's column of "did she help," then considered the question. Was there anything else? Now that she thought about it, there was something she was super curious about but it was a bit embarrassing to ask out loud. But not unwarranted? It was related to the D/S stuff so it should be okay to ask, right? Kate wouldn't be offended, would she? "Um..." Max started to fidget, her curiosity warring with her need to not make waves.

"I can tell there's something," Kate said when Max failed to say anything further. "I will never insist you ask me because all of it depends on your comfort level. I'll simply reiterate that you can ask me anything. I'm your friend and I'm here for you. I certainly won't judge you for whatever you ask nor will I think poorly of you for not asking."

"Okay. Um." Max shifted, steeled herself, then looked at Kate. No time like the present, right? "When I was doing research before, trying to narrow my role from that list of kinks, the impression I got was that roles directed kink and vice versa." She swallowed and looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. "So, I was wondering, what kinks do Mothers have?"

Kate blinked. It was a surprising question, especially considering the source, but not entirely unexpected. Max was trying to learn about D/S stuff so it was inevitable that she'd have questions about kink. She gave Max a soft smile. "I'll be glad to tell you my personal kink or, more accurately, what has piqued my interest, but first, I need to dissuade a common assumption: roles most certainly do not dictate kink nor does having a particular kinky interest dictate your role. There is correlation, yes, but like the pairings of roles we discussed earlier, there's no hard and fast rule concerning kink. It's a very personal and subjective choice that really has no bearing on anything other than 'does this turn me on?'"

When Max nodded and jotted that down but declined to look at her, Kate knew she had to do something to help Max's nervousness. "Allow me to give you an example." She rose from her seat and went to her cabinet, the action making Max lift her head. Kate rummaged around and withdrew a specific book. "I extremely doubt that when you heard I was a Mother and possessed a nurturing and protective nature, my kink interests would include this." Kate sat back down and handed the book over.

Max took the book in question, then blinked at the cover. " _Bondage for Sex Volume 1_?" she said aloud.

"Yes. I have more than a passing interest in bondage but have never had a partner to experiment with. I did, however, purchase that and a couple of other guides to learn more about the craft and the art."

"I... wowsers." Mesmerized at the cover image showing a pair of bound wrists, Max opened the book to a random page, and stopped. "Whoa." Right there on the page were several photos of a woman, topless, with rope that went around her chest. The photos matched the text, a step-by-step guide to a specific type of bondage... Position? Tie? Something. Max turned the page and blinked at the full-body image of the completed process. Max gulped, shifting in her seat a bit. "This is... I'm..." She could feel her face turning more and more red but couldn't look away. Fuck, this was hot. "Dog. I wonder if this is the kind of bondage Dana's into," Max mumbled to herself.

Kate, who was sitting quietly next to Max, heard the quiet utterance, though. "Dana?" She was into bondage? That was news to Kate.

It took a couple of seconds for Kate's question to register in Max's head, but when it did, she jerked upright, yelped, and slammed the book shut. "I-- No! I didn't say--" Max stared at Kate with wide-eyed horror. "Oh, dog, oh shit, oh fuck, she's going to kill me, she's going to hate me, I spilled her secret, I'm going to die, I deserve to die, she's gonna, she's--" Max started to gasp as her hands started shaking, her eyes rapidly losing focus. "She's-- she's-- I'm-- I--"

Kate, alarmed at Max's reaction, quickly shoved the book and everything else aside, then reached forward to grip Max's hands in her own. "Max? Listen to me, Max, listen to the sound of my voice. Take a deep breath. With me. In. Then out. Okay. Again. In. Then out. Look at me. In. That's it. Then out. Doing great. In. Nice and easy. And out. There you go." Kate repeated the breathing exercise, keeping her voice calm and level, maintaining eye contact, and slowly, very slowly, Max eased back down from DEFCON 1.

Once Max was coherent again, she shook her head, head lowered. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Shh. Don't be sorry. It's okay. I'm here for you. Always."

Max took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "I... didn't mean to panic but when I realized I said that out loud..." She let out a shuddering breath. "I didn't get Dana's permission to reveal that to anyone. I never reveal too much about my interviews with anyone except Miss Carter. It's private. Everyone tells me these things in confidence." She lifted her head to look at Kate, her face morose. "I betrayed her trust. She's going to hate me forever."

Kate really didn't think the situation was that dire, knowing Dana like she did, but also understood that just saying that wouldn't help Max at all. There was only one thing that would and it required a specific approach. "If you believe you've done Dana wrong, there is something you can do to make things better. You know what that is, right?"

"Yeah..." Max nodded, then looked down. "I need to apologize to her."

Kate gave Max's hands a gentle squeeze, drawing her attention. "Then, let's go do that now. The longer you wait, the more guilty you'll feel, and the worse things will get. Best to face this now, right?"

Max swallowed. "R-right." Kate was right, she knew Kate was right. It just hit so close to home. But, Max couldn't let this become another Chloe situation. The thought of another five years of guilt, of hate, and self-loathing... She knew, absolutely knew, she wouldn't survive.

Kate, in the meantime, carefully bundled Max's notebook and folder together and stood, Max slowly following suit. She held Max's things with one hand and gently took Max's hand with the other. "I'll be with you, okay?"

"Okay." Max cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome."

Together, the pair exited Kate's room and walked down the hall to Dana's. Seeing the door open, Kate stepped up and saw Dana at her desk, apparently doing some homework. She let go of Max's hand and gave the open door a careful knock.

Dana spun around in her seat and, when she saw who was at her door, smiled. "Kate! Max! Come on in." She rose, but paused. Kate appeared normal, maybe a touch serious, but Max looked like she was being led to the gallows. She was also looking everywhere but at Dana, so maybe her new-normal approach of kissing Max on the cheek wasn't the most appropriate course of action. Dana did her best to keep her voice light, though. "What's up, you two?"

There was a pregnant pause as Max shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking to the world like she'd rather be anywhere else but in Dana's room. Kate, seeing Max so obviously scared, reached down and gently retook Max's hand. She gave it a soft squeeze and, when Max was able to lift her head, gave her an encouraging smile.

It was enough to get Max to finally face Dana. She took a deep breath and let it out. "Um, I wanted to-- I mean, I needed to..." Max licked her lips and looked away. "I'm sorry," she finally blurted out.

Dana blinked in confusion. She glanced towards Kate, then back to Max. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I--" Max stopped, cleared her throat, shuffled her feet, then looked back at Dana. "I was doing my interview with Kate a few minutes ago. And I... um, I accidentally told her you were into bondage." She winced and looked away. "I'm so sorry, Dana," she continued, her voice a harsh whisper. "I didn't mean to let that slip. That was something you told me in confidence and I betrayed your trust." She could feel the moisture pool around her eyes and closed them, unwilling to see the anger she knew was growing on Dana's face. "I understand if you... if you hate me." She held her breath, body tense, waiting for the inevitable.

Because Max's eyes were closed, she completely missed the incredulous look Dana shot Kate. She knew from personal observation that Max was somewhat anxious and sensitive to the moods of others (it made Max incredibly empathetic, even if she was too shy to act on it most of the time) but to see her like this, on the verge of falling apart for what Dana considered a complete non-issue, broke her heart a little bit. She wasn't exactly sure what to do but when Kate tilted her head towards Max, it was all Dana needed to stop gawking and finally approach the shy girl.

When Dana was within arm's reach, she very gently placed her hands on Max's shoulders, then tried to ignore the flicker of pain in her chest when Max flinched. God, did Max really think she was going to hit her? Dana swallowed, then schooled any evidence of dismay from her face. "Hey, Max?" She kept her voice soft, her expression light, and, when Max finally opened her eyes, smiled warmly at Max. There were any number of things she could've said but only one was truly important. "It's okay. I completely and 100% forgive you."

Max's sob still caught Dana a little off-guard. She watched as Max started wiping at her eyes, then remembered she could be doing more than just staring. "C'mere, Max. Let's have a seat, just like before." Dana wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and led her to the couch, sitting next to the softly crying brunette. She looked towards her coffee table, then abruptly remembered she hadn't had a chance to restock on tissues. "Oh, damn." She turned to the still-standing Kate and pointed to her cabinet. "Can you grab a washcloth for me? Second shelf, towards the rear."

"Certainly." Kate quickly acquired the cloth in question and handed it over.

"Thanks." Dana motioned for Kate to sit as well, then handed Max the washcloth. "Here you go."

Max took the proffered cloth with a wet, "Thank you," then proceeded to wipe at her eyes and nose.

Dana rubbed Max's back, unsurprised to feel Kate do the same from the other side. "Sorry I don't have tissues on hand. I didn't realize I had run out."

"It's okay," Max replied, her voice rough with emotion.

"I should probably invest in some handkerchiefs," Dana mused aloud, keeping her voice light. "Can't be a perfect gentlemen without a handkerchief. I'm pretty sure that's in an etiquette book somewhere." She grinned when she heard Max snort out a partial laugh at the incongruous statement.

Max blew her nose, then wiped at her eyes with the corner of the washcloth. "I don't think you'd make a good gentlemen, Dana," she said softly, then looked over at the redhead in question. "Totally wrong equipment," she added with a hesitant smile.

Dana laughed and Kate giggled, which succeeded in lifting Max's spirits a bit more. "Well, you got me there." She reached out and brushed the back of her fingers over Max's cheek. "Feeling a bit better?" she asked quietly.

"Um." Max sniffed, then looked down. "Maybe...?" She fidgeted with the washcloth in her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey now, none of that. You don't have to feel sorry anymore." Dana turned in her seat to face Max fully. "I've forgiven you. As far as I'm concerned, it's done." She looked past Max towards Kate, then back. "I honestly don't mind people knowing about it, me being into bondage. I was dating Logan, after all, so I know word's definitely gotten around."

"Still. You told me that and you never gave me permission to share it. So, it was my responsibility to keep my dumb mouth shut. And I didn't."

"And that's another thing," Dana continued. "You're not dumb. You made a simple mistake, that's all. You've apologized. I've forgiven you." Dana reached out and gave Max's shoulder a squeeze. "I solemnly swear it's all good. You're still my friend, Max. That's not going to change. I promise."

"I..." Max sniffed again, then had to dab at her eyes once more. "Thank you. So much."

"Of course." Dana thought about what she could do to help Max feel better, then adjusted her position. "C'mon, Kate. I think Max deserves a cuddle sandwich."

"I do believe you're correct," Kate replied with a grin.

Max giggled slightly as both her friends eased her back into the couch proper until all three of them were practically glued at the hip. Dana wrapped her arm around Max's shoulders while Kate rested her hand on Max's lap, and together, they did their best to let Max know, through their touch, that she was loved. Max sighed, contentment slowly pushing out the fear and anxiety. Dana didn't hate her. She sniffed. As impossible as it was to believe, Dana didn't hate her and was still her friend. Dog, she really didn't deserve such compassion.

When Dana felt the tension ease from Max's frame, she leaned over to give Max a kiss on the cheek. "I didn't think it was appropriate before," was her simple explanation when Max blinked at her.

"Oh." Max cleared her throat even as she felt the blush grow on her cheeks. "Thank you," she repeated.

"You're very welcome," Dana replied, then settled back. "So, now that we're all settled and snuggling, you have to tell me: what'd you two talk about during the interview that my love of the ropes came up?"

"Max asked me about kink," Kate answered, "and was wondering if a person's role dictated kink or the other way around. I explained they're actually independent of one another, even if there is correlation a lot of the time. I mentioned I'm very interested in bondage myself, but have yet to find a partner to experiment with." She decided to reveal this part about herself to Dana, not just to level the playing field with her, so to speak, but let Max understand there's no harm in discussing these subjects outside of interviews.

Dana's eyes lit up and she leaned forward in her seat a bit. "You are? Really?"

"Yes. There's something about the restriction of bondage and the artistry of shibari both that intrigues me. While I don't think I'd like being bound myself, the thought of someone being in my care, to tie her in gentle yet unyielding bondage, to have that person rely on me completely for her own pleasure..." Kate felt a bit of heat on her cheeks. "Well, let's just say the concept is enticing enough for me to consider taking a class on the subject."

"Damn, girl," Dana said as she fanned herself. "Let me say that you are most definitely pushing all my right buttons with your words alone." She glanced at Max, who was very busy staring at the floor, cheeks more than a little red. Dana smiled but opted against making any jokes. So soon after her breakdown, even gentle teasing wouldn't be right. Instead, she looked back towards Kate. "Tell you what: if you want to learn, let's schedule a time, you, me, and Jules, and we'll all get together and talk shop. She's been tying me up for years so she can definitely give you some practical tips. And you can even use me as your practice model."

"Really?" Kate leaned forward, a bit of eagerness showing through. "You'd really let me practice with you?"

"Sure! I'm just sorry that the subject's never come up before. We could've been practicing your rope work this entire time."

"Well, better late than never, right?"

"Right," Dana agreed with a nod. She then gave Max a slight nudge, who looked up at her, face still a bit red. Dana gave her a gentle smile. "Say the word and you can be in on the instruction, too."

"No pressure, though," Kate added, drawing Max's attention. "Don't think you have to force yourself to participate. Neither of us will judge you, yea or nay. Whatever you're comfortable with."

"And if you're not comfortable with being tied at all and only want to observe," Dana stated, "perhaps for your D/S assignment, that's cool, too. I don't mind an audience as long as it's you."

Dog, Kate and Dana were being so incredibly wonderful to her, so accommodating. It made Max smile. "Maybe. Let me think about it?"

"Absolutely," Dana replied as Kate nodded. "Take whatever time you need."

"Thanks, again."

"Certainly. But now, let's move onto something different." Kate leaned forward a smidgen to look at Dana. "What were you working on before we knocked on your door?"

"Ugh." Dana flopped backwards. "Damn Cultural Anthropology assignment. Seriously, who cares about whatever the hell the Mesopotamians did back in whenever the hell BC?"

Max snorted out a laugh even as Kate giggled. "Not your favorite subject, I take it?"

"Nope! If it wasn't a required course, I'd never study it."

"Says the person who got an A- on the last test," Max pointed out.

"I never said I wasn't good at it, just that it's booooooooring," Dana lamented to the heavens.

The trio spent close to the next hour just chatting about anything and everything, enjoying each other's company, while soaking in the casual intimacy of snuggles. It was a delightful way to close out the afternoon, so much so that when Juliet showed up to grab Dana for dinner, no one really wanted to leave. So instead, 30 minutes later, the four indulged themselves with a food delivery of a large deluxe pizza, an order of cheesy bread sticks, and a side of celery and carrot sticks. Conversation remained light and fun, the most serious subject brought up being whether it was right or wrong to eat the pizza crust with the slice, eat the crust afterwards with a dipping sauce, or chuck the crust. No consensus was reached but since everyone had such a good time, no one minded too terribly much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fucking hell, I really didn't mean to have such a massive delay between chapters but, dammit, I just wasn't getting any sleep and, as a result, I couldn't focus enough to write one bit. I will say that my sleep issues had nothing to do with my depression, so no worries there. And those issues have finally been resolved, which is good news.
> 
> The delay was so long that I was afraid I was going to screw this chapter up. I wound up spending an awful lot of time double-checking and re-reading the previous chapters to ensure I didn't do something stupid, like forget major plot points or miss a critical detail. In addition, there's about 5k worth of words that got rejected from the initial version of this chapter. Nothing was gelling in that first draft so, when my brain was able to focus on the task at hand, I scrapped the whole thing and started from scratch. However, certain details will be salvaged to show up later on. Some of those details might even be good. ;-)
> 
> Turning the interview into another tea date was a spur-of-the-moment addition but one I felt made perfect sense for Kate (oh, and if you haven't tried the "airline cookies" that are [Biscoff](http://www.biscoff.com/) cookies, you're missing out!). I hope everyone likes the idea of Kate being into bondage. Believe it or not, I've had Kate's kink figured out even before I decided Dana would be into it, but hey, happy accident, right?
> 
>  _[Bondage for Sex Volume 1](https://www.amazon.com/Chanta-Rose/e/B004MPZIM4/)_ by Chanta Rose is a real book and one I own along with about four other how-to books. I chose it for inclusion in this chapter because, unlike some, it uses color photos rather than black and white drawings for the step-by-step instructions and has gorgeous, full-page photos of the completed tie finishing up each chapter. A nice combo of titillating and practical, and something that fits the feel of this work overall.
> 
> The parallels between Max and Dana's situation and Max and Chloe's is admittedly blatant but purposeful. I have a plans for Max's eventual apology to Chloe. And yes, Max has apologized to her already (off-screen, before the beginning of the story) but she still carries a veritable mountain of guilt and self-loathing that is soul-crushing in its intensity. No one else is aware of this and that fact will be the focus of the future scene.
> 
> There shouldn't be anywhere near as long a delay between this chapter and the next. I already have plans for the next couple of scenes. Now, I just need to type them out and see how they feel. Wish me luck!


	36. Cruelty

After the pizza polished off (except for a few pieces of crust), there was a mild debate as to who would get the last slice of cheesy bread. Kate declined, explaining that since she was taking all of the celery sticks for Alice, it wouldn't be right to take the last of the cheesy bread as well. Max, being Max, was just too polite to take it even though she really, really wanted to. That left Dana and Juliet competing in a best three out of five thumb wrestling tournament for the final piece. It was close but in the end, Dana won out. Still, there was no way she was leaving her friend high and dry, so she wound up tearing the piece in half and sharing it anyway.

"So," Juliet began as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, "are either of you going to the Vortex Club party this Thursday?"

Max and Kate glanced at one another before looking back at Juliet. "I'm not really a party kind of person," Kate answered, "so I'll likely bow out."

"And besides," Max added, "I've heard from Chloe and Rachel how those parties typically go." She shook her head. "Definitely not my scene."

"Ah, but this one's not going to be your run-of-the-mill Vortex party," Juliet stated with a grin. "It's going to be a mixer party for all the newbies."

Max blinked. "A what now?"

"I take it you didn't check your e-mails today?" Dana asked.

Max shook her head. "I saw I had a couple of new messages in my Blackwell folder but didn't bother reading them yet."

"In that case, give them a once-over when you get back to your room," Juliet stated. "Miss Carter sent out a mass e-mail to the student body, something that might be pertinent to your D/S studies, and the Vortex sent one right after."

"Gotcha. I'll read them before doing laundry, then."

"Is that what you have lined up the rest of the evening?" Juliet asked.

"Yeah. This is around the time I usually take care of it. I'll also try to polish off my reading assignment at the same time."

"Sounds good," Juliet said with a nod, then turned to Kate and Dana. "What about you two?"

Kate balled up her napkin and dropped it into the empty pizza box. "I'm done with everything so I'll likely take it easy. Read my Bible or perhaps work on some of my illustrations. When Max and I were out earlier for our Photography project, I took several additional photos of landscapes and interesting looking trees, so I wouldn't mind sketching them out, see how they look."

"I still have my Anthropology homework but I'm glad you mentioned the Bible," Dana said, directing the last part of her statement towards Kate. "I have an English assignment that I'd love to get your help with."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We're studying the Bible as a work of literature and I'd like your input on a few things, if you don't mind."

Kate smiled. "Of course not. I'd be happy to help."

"Cool," Dana said with a smile. "Let me dump all of this in the large trash can in the common room and I'll be right over."

"Actually, I'll take care of that," Juliet stated, rising from her chair, "since you were nice enough to invite me to eat with you guys and even got the cheesy bread for me."

"It was so good," Max stated, "so thanks for sharing."

"Glad to," Juliet said with a grin. "I don't know how they do it but Fat Jake's makes some of the best cheesy bread on the planet, so I always make it a point to order some. Always glad to make another convert."

All the trash was compiled in short order and everyone left Dana's room, Juliet breaking off to head to the common room. When the other three reached Max's door, Dana leaned over and gave Max a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck finishing your last assignment."

"Um, thank you." Seriously, Max was never, ever going to get used to that. She did her best to ignore the blush on her cheeks as she and Kate hugged. "Thanks for the interview. And everything."

"You're most welcome. Always glad to help."

Max stepped back and opened her door. "Both of you have a good night, then."

"You too."

With one last smile directed towards her friends, Max stepped into her room, flipped on the light, then closed the door behind her. She let out a contented sigh. Overall, it had been a really good day. Her breakdown, obviously, was a low point, but Kate was there for her and, somehow, Dana forgave her. She didn't deserve friends like them but she was really starting to get used to the comfort and companionship she had with them, if not the physical affection.

Setting her D/S notebook and folder on her desk, Max noticed her phone had a few notifications. She unlocked it and saw that Steph had sent her several messages over the course of the last hour and a half.

 **Steph**  
Are you and Kate back yet?

 **Steph**  
Okay, I'm assuming either you're not back yet or you're away from your phone.

 **Steph**  
Just a heads up: me, Chloe and Rachel are all on the way to the Portland area to hit up Barnes. Chloe totally spaced needing some scientific periodicals for an AP Bio assignment.

 **Steph**  
We woulda invited you but you were still out and about.

 **Steph**  
We're gonna grab something to eat while we're there so you're on your own.

 **Steph**  
Sorry!

Max looked a the time stamp on the messages, the current time, did some mental calculations, then nodded her head.

 **Max**  
No worries! I just finished eating dinner w/Kate, Dana, and Juliet actually. Fat Jake's is pretty good!

 **Max**  
Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I forgot my phone so I didn't get your messages until just now.

Max set her phone down and stripped out of her jeans, socks, shirt, and bra, putting them into her hamper. She was tugging on a fresh set of sleep clothes when her phone buzzed.

 **Steph**  
If you liked Fat Jake's then that must mean Jake was the one manning the ovens tonight. When Chad does, the pizza is mediocre at best.

 **Max**  
Chad's the super skinny guy, right?

 **Steph**  
Yup. Apparently the old phrase "never trust a skinny chef" holds true.

 **Max**  
LOL. I'll take your word for it. Where are you guys now?

 **Steph**  
Some Chinese place I forgot the name of already. We're here because Chloe demanded a Pu Pu Platter. She claims it's fun to cook the appetizers at the table. I think it's because she just wants to say poo-poo.

Max snorted out a laugh. That sounded like Chloe all right.

 **Max**  
Next time, choose Korean. Some of them have a grill built into the table itself and you cook the whole meal.

 **Steph**  
That sounds pretty interesting, actually. I'll remember that for later.

 **Steph**  
Whatcha up to now, since you've already eaten?"

 **Max**  
Laundry. I figure I'll finish my reading while I'm doing that.

 **Steph**  
OK.

 **Steph**  
It's going to be at least two more hours before we're back so all 3 of us want to remind you that if you start feeling off, find Kate or Dana. NO BULLSHIT. Chloe's words.

 **Max**  
I will. And thanks for watching out for me. (^_^)

 **Steph**  
Chloe says NO EMOJI! Rachel says :-* :-* :-*

 **Max**  
And what does Steph say?

 **Steph**  
:-* :-* :-*

 **Max**  
*blush*

Max set the phone down, feeling an actual blush on her cheeks. Dog, how pathetic was it that a text could make her turn red? She couldn't fight the smile, though. Even an hour or so away in Portland, her friends were watching out for her. It was nice.

Taking a seat in her desk chair, Max popped open her laptop and pulled up her e-mail client. Time to read the messages she had ignored earlier this afternoon, especially the one from Miss Carter.

> To all Blackwell students:
> 
> As Blackwell Academy enters its fifth week of the 2013 Fall semester, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that the introductory period of our Dom/sub curriculum will finally be complete. Beginning on Tuesday, you will begin seeing a much larger portion of the student body engaging in various D/S activities both during and after classes. This will be a new and exciting time for all of the students participating in these studies and many will be eager to share their newfound roles and knowledge with others. Because of this, I would like to take this moment to remind everyone of some fundamental rules:
> 
>   1. Consent is absolutely required. Everyone must be on the same page as each other before beginning and continuing any sort of D/S activity, no matter how vanilla.
>   2. Consent is never assumed. If verbal consent cannot be granted due to the presence of a gag or some other restriction, you must seek some other form of non-verbal consent before initiating any activity. If both verbal and non-verbal consent cannot be granted, perhaps due to the presence of a discipline hood or other form of sensory deprivation device, **do not** initiate any activity at all.
>   3. Harassment will not be tolerated. Just as Doms cannot simply demand service from subs without prior consent, subs are not allowed to badger Doms into a role they do not wish to fulfill. See rule #1.
>   4. No sub may be bound and left unattended. While the practice may sound intriguing in the realms of fantasy, this is the real world. Bound subs are reliant on their Doms for protection. To leave them unattended is not simply a violation of trust but potentially dangerous as well.
>   5. Blackwell Academy has many protections in place for its students and staff. The same cannot be said about neighboring Arcadia Bay and the rest of the county and state. Please study and know your local bylaws and ordinances before you are arrested for violating public indecency statutes.
>   6. Should you witness a violation of any of the above rules, report it to the nearest faculty, staff, or member of security.
>   7. Finally, remember to always look out for one another. Even someone with the role of Slave deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
> 

> 
> In a very real way, Blackwell is your school. Make the most of it and enjoy the rest of your journey this semester.
> 
> Lynda Carter, PhD  
>  Head Disciplinarian

Max reread the e-mail a couple of times, absorbing the knowledge that apparently, starting on Tuesday, she was going to start seeing way more D/S stuff all around her. Thank Dog she's been in the middle of her personal D/S assignment so she wasn't going to be exposed to all of it cold turkey, as it were. Still, knowing and seeing were two completely different things so Max really hoped she could handle witnessing it, whatever "it" wound up being.

But the other thing that stood out was Miss Carter. She's a doctor? Seriously? Was Max insulting her by calling her Miss this entire time? No, wait, everyone else called her Miss as well. Miss Carter even introduced herself as "Miss Carter" way back on Tuesday. So, Max supposed it was okay? But why not use the title of Doctor instead? Max thought about it for a moment, then decided she'd ask Miss Carter when they had their follow-up meeting.

Setting that aside for the moment, she went onto the next e-mail.

> To all students,
> 
> You are cordially invited to the first annual Dom/sub/Switch Mixer, hosted by the best and most elite club on campus, the **Vortex Club**! This will be a perfect opportunity for all students who have recently completed Blackwell's introductory D/s curriculum to meet and greet like-minded individuals. Perhaps you are a sub seeking the attentions of a Dom. Perhaps you are a Domme on the lookout for a willing sub. Or perhaps you simply wish to speak to fellow peers who have been living the lifestyle longer to get an idea of what courses to take next. Whatever the case may be, come join us at Blackwell's gymnasium this Thursday, September 26, from 6 to 10 PM, and prepare to have a good time!
> 
> While you're there, should you be interested in joining the Vortex Club, speak to members Courtney Wagner, Taylor Christensen, Nathan Prescott, or Sarah Burch. All will be happy to answer any questions, list qualifications, and help you learn more about what we do in and out of Blackwell. No membership is required for this D/s/$ Mixer, however, so we hope to see you there!
> 
> The Vortex Club
> 
> Nathan Prescott, co-President  
>  Victoria Chase, co-President  
>  Sarah Burch, secretary  
>  Taylor Christensen, treasurer

Ah, so this is what Juliet was talking about. A general mixer party did sound a lot more interesting than a normal, run-of-the-mill party and definitely wasn't what she expected, considering what Rachel and Chloe had told her in the past. The problem, of course, was a mixer was all about meeting and greeting, two activities Max was terrible at. Plus, if this party really was for "like-minded individuals," then she was absolutely certain she didn't belong. These newcomers, the ones the party was for, were students who had attended and graduated the first round of D/S courses. They knew things. They wanted to participate in more things, presumably with others. Max, though, was generally clueless and was nowhere near ready to do anything with anyone. If she went, she'd probably just hide in a corner and stress herself out while at the same time, disappoint anyone who might've approached her. Not that anyone would.

No, the party really wasn't for her. Best to skip completely. Maybe she'd talk to Juliet and Dana afterwards, ask them how it was, since it sounded like they'd be attending, though not as newcomers. Probably as Vortexers. Or, maybe she could speak to Taylor, Courtney, and possibly Victoria, since they were now on speaking terms (still miraculous to think about!).

Maybe.

In the meantime, though, it was time for laundry. Max grabbed her novel and set it atop her laundry, then tucked the small bottle of detergent into the hamper along with a box of dryer sheets. She shoved a mostly full roll of quarters into the bottom of the hamper, slipped into her flip flops, and with a small grunt, grabbed everything to take downstairs. Not for the first time, she mentally cursed that the dorms didn't have an elevator. It'd make laundry day a lot more easy, that's for sure.

 

* * *

 

When Kate opened the door to her room and took one step inside, she stopped rather abruptly. "Oh, fiddlesticks."

Right behind her, Dana grinned widely. If this was how Kate cursed, then her cuteness just tripled. "What's up?"

"I completely forgot I left Alice free the entire time I was away," Kate explained as she stepped further into the room.

"Did she break something?" Dana asked as she followed Kate inside, closing the door behind her.

"No. Thankfully, she's not that rambunctious. Buuuuuuut," Kate drawled out as she crouched down to pick up the bunny in question. Dana saw that Alice was gripping the corner of the tablecloth in her mouth. "Apparently when I'm not around, she treats tablecloths like really large sleeves." Kate gently tugged the cloth free from Alice's teeth, rotated the bunny in her hands to look her in the face, and gave her a rather stern expression. "Naughty girl."

Hot damn, could Kate get any cuter? "I really hope you don't mind me saying this but you scolding Alice is absolutely adorable. I wish I had a camera."

Kate sent Dana a smile even as she put Alice back in her cage. "Thank you. I suppose that's lesson learned for me: don't leave Alice free when I'm not around."

"Well, I can understand why you might've forgotten. You and Max came to see me right after she accidentally slipped up, right?"

"Yes." Kate sat on the couch and started stacking the tea set onto a serving tray. "Once she realized what she had said, she had a panic attack. I helped calm her down, then, because I know Max, gently persuaded her to see you right away. Otherwise, she would have spent the rest of tonight, tomorrow, and possibly the rest of her life regretting her action, convinced you'd hate her forever."

When Kate lifted the tray from the coffee table, Dana expertly folded the tablecloth up, ensuring that any crumbs were held within. "When I helped Max back on Wednesday," she recalled, "she spent an uncomfortable about of time apologizing for bothering me, so unfortunately, I can see Max doing that and am glad you came to me right away. Where do you want this?" she asked, motioning with the tablecloth.

"Right on top of my hamper, thank you." Kate set the tray back down on the coffee table, then sat down on the couch. "I'll clean this up later. First, I'd like to help you with your assignment."

"Okay then." Dana sat as well, then saw the book that was shoved against the back of the couch. "Ah, this one. Good read." She took the book in question and handed it to Kate. "Juliet has this and _Two Knotty Boys Showing You The Ropes_. I take it you showed this to Max?"

"Yes," Kate replied taking the book, "as an example of roles not dictating kink. She seemed quite intrigued by the contents, though we didn't get a chance to discuss anything in detail. Or at all."

"Let me guess: she got too caught up in the contents that she said something out loud without realizing it?"

"Exactly." Kate stood and replaced the book back in her cabinet. "I take it she's done that around you before?"

"Yeah, in World History and Cultural Anthropology. I've started sitting next to her in the classes and sometimes, she'll pithy things to herself about either the subject or the teacher." Dana grinned. "She's really funny, too. Just too shy to say them deliberately, I think."

"That sounds like Max, all right." Kate sat back down and gave Dana a smile. "So, what would you like to know?"

Dana shifted so she was facing Kate on the couch. "Okay, so, the Bible. Would you say that it's poetry?"

"Hmm." Kate gave the matter some thought, then shook her head. "No. There are certainly some poetic elements to it and I've read some arguments that portions of the Old Testament were written as a poem but overall, no, I wouldn't consider the Bible a poem like _Beowulf_ or others."

"Cool. Thanks," Dana said with a nod. "That's all I needed."

Kate blinked. That was... abrupt. "Really?"

"Yeah." Dana shifted in her seat. "Okay, honestly, I wanted to talk to you one-on-one about something else and just used that as an excuse. I mean, we really are studying the Bible in English class as literature but I'm already done with the assignment."

"Then why the subterfuge? I'm always happy to talk to you, you know that."

"Yeah, but Max was right there and I didn't want to get her curious by saying something vague."

"Max? Why would-- Oh!" Kate's eyes widened a fraction as she put two and two together, then smiled. "Oh, I see now. You like-like Max, too, right?"

Dana huffed out a soft chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. Except I was told the correct phrase is 'sweet on.'"

The two shared a grin. "I take it that Rachel spoke to you, then?" Kate asked.

"Earlier today, along with Steph. They asked me over to Rachel's room to discuss something of 'Max Importance.'" She smirked at Kate's snort of amusement. "Their words, not mine. We all sat down, kind of like we are now," Dana motioned between herself and Kate, "and they pretty much laid their cards on the table. I was admittedly freaked at first."

"Because you were expecting them to ask you to back off and they asked the exact opposite?"

"Yeah. Also, I hadn't been too subtle about my growing attraction to Max since the party and was afraid they were gonna be upset about it. But they weren't. Instead, they just said that a lot of girls, you included, were interested in dating Max but they had wanted to collectively break the news to her first, so there wasn't any confusion. They brought up some good points: using me as an example, if I tried to date Max without letting her know upfront that it was, in fact, a date, how long would things go on before she finally clued in? What if months passed and she never did? How much would it hurt me to find out she just thought I was being nice? How badly would it mess her up, to suddenly know that I had been 'dating' her for months and she never knew? How confused would she be, trying to think back and figure out which of her friends were actually trying to date her and which ones were just being friendly? And would she blame herself for inadvertently leading me on?" Dana shrugged. "That last point, especially, is easy to see. Unfortunately."

"I happen to agree," Kate said with a soft sigh. "Max is one of the most gentle souls I've ever met. She's so incredibly empathetic and never wants to hurt anyone by her actions, to the point that she'll blame herself for things completely out of her control."

"She's an absolute sweetheart," Dana said with a small nod. "When we finished talking, Steph and Rachel and I, it was super easy to understand why there are so many girls who are sweet on her."

"So, did you want to ask me advice about Max and how to approach her? Because it seems to me that you already have a good idea."

"No, not that. I wanted your complete and honest opinion on something related, though." Dana shifted in her seat again and clasped her hands in front of her. She was silent for several moments as she collected her thoughts. "Should I bother? Seriously. I know what Rachel and Steph said but I want you to tell me what you truly think about the idea. Of all of us openly dating Max. Because I like her, yes. And I don't mind the idea of sharing, I really don't. But compared to you, compared to Rachel, hell, even compared to Victoria, what chance do I have? What can I provide her that all of you can't?"

"You provide you." Kate shifted forward and placed a gentle hand atop Dana's. "I asked myself the exact same thing when they, Rachel, Steph, and Chloe, broke the news to me. Even after they assured me it would be okay and nothing I did would cause them to hate me or lose my friendship with them, I considered bowing out. Not because I didn't want to cause them problems but because compared to what all of them could offer Max, what could I provide? I thought about it, worried about it, prayed about it. And this morning, after Max walked with me to the bus stop and we spoke for a bit, I had my answer: I can provide me.

"Max and I didn't become friends because I reminded her of Chloe or Rachel or Steph," she continued. "We became friends because I'm me. She likes who I am enough to want to hang out, drink tea, eat lunch, and take photos together. In our relationship, I provide me. Just as she provides Max. Nothing more, nothing less. When it comes to a romantic relationship, it's the same. I can only provide me. It'll be up to Max to decide if that's what she ultimately wants. If it isn't, then yes, that will hurt. I can admit that. I'm only human, after all. But, the possibility that Max might like me in the same way, and will tell me that what I provide, me, is what she wants? That potential happiness is enough for me to risk it.

"So, what can you provide Max that no one else can?" Kate gave Dana's hands a gentle squeeze. "Your love, your attention, your affection. You. A Service sub who enjoys bondage, who would love for Max to sit in on a few lessons on the subject but would never pressure her to join in. Someone who loves Halloween as much as she does, who gives her friendly kisses on the cheek just because. Who will comfort her when she falls apart and will sit next to her in class to keep her spirits up. Who will speak to her mutual friend because she's concerned she won't be enough, which is impossible because you're Dana. You are more than enough. And yes, you should most definitely try."

Dana blinked, flabbergasted. This wasn't what she expected at all and she had no idea what to say. But feel? She could still feel. And right now, the swell of emotion that came from the depths of her soul was demanding immediate release. She shot up from the couch and started pacing the room. "Ah, dammit, dammit, dammit, I've cried so much this past week, I don't need to do it again." She sniffed loudly and fanned at her face. "But, dammit, you're so sweet, Kate, I can't stop it." She sniffed again and started wiping at her eyes. "Sorry I'm turning into a weepy mess."

Kate stood and hurried over to her desk, grabbing a box of tissues. "Here." She waited for Dana to grab a few before continuing. "I'm sorry I made you cry. That wasn't my intent, I promise."

Dana shook her head as she dabbed at her eyes. "I know. Not your fault." She blew her nose, then took another tissue. "You're just being the literal angel you always are." Dana blew her nose again and took a few deep breaths, calming back down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"And thanks. For your advice. I think I really needed to hear that. That I'm more than enough." She dabbed at her eyes a final time, then bunched up the tissues. "Ever since I dumped Logan, I've been feeling... I suppose 'used' is the best way to describe it. Like, I had my shot at happiness and I blew it. I won't get another chance so don't even bother." She glanced around the room, saw the small trash can in the corner, and stepped over to it. "So I really appreciate you saying that to me."

"It's the absolute truth," Kate stated, then worried her bottom lip. Dana's breakup with Logan must've been a lot worse than Kate anticipated. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You just did," Dana said with a smile, dropping the tissues in the trash. "And, with your permission, may I thank you with a hug?"

"You don't even have to ask," Kate replied with a soft smile.

Dana wrapped her arms around Kate and pulled her into a heartfelt embrace, which Kate returned. "Thank you so much," Dana whispered. "For being you, for being so damn nice to me."

"You're--" Kate's voice hitched, a flood of emotion overwhelming her. She had to take a moment to clear her throat before she was able to continue. "You're most welcome."

Dana felt an urge to give Kate a kiss on the forehead but wasn't certain if she'd be accepting of that. So instead, she gave Kate one last squeeze, then let go. She then leaned down and took hold of the serving tray that held the used tea set. "I may not drink tea with you but I do know you're a pretty tidy person. So, why don't we take care of this together?"

"You know you don't have to, right? I can wash them a bit later."

"Sure, but you know me. And it's the least I can do," Dana said with a slight shrug.

"Well, since you insist," Kate replied with a soft grin.

After gathering up the washing supplies, the pair left Kate's room and entered the restroom, not noticing a pair of feet lift from the floor in one of the stalls behind them. They started on the dishes, Kate washing as Dana dried.

"Question for you."

"Answer for you."

Dana smiled. "Of all the people interested in Max, who do you think has the best chance of, well, winning her, I guess is the best phrase."

"Hmm." Kate rinsed another saucer and handed it over. "That's an excellent question and I honestly don't know. Thinking back on all of her friends, you and me included, I can't think of a single person who stands out more than the others. She talks so positively about everyone to everyone else and I really don't think it's because she's trying to avoid playing favorites. I think she genuinely likes everyone."

"That's kind of the impression I get, too." Dana stacked the saucer atop the other clean one and took the spoon Kate handed her. "I mean, you remember the party. She reacted so positively to all the kisses, even from the ones I don't think are interesting in dating her. If I had to use her reactions to the kisses as a predictor of the future, I'd be forced to say everyone, equally, even if she still has no idea what sort of kinks she's into or likes."

"I agree." Kate washed the last spoon, handed it to Dana, then started rinsing out her washcloth. "I know that Max is a wonderful person, so incredibly easy to fall in like with, to borrow Juliet's phrase." She grinned at Dana's giggle. "Part of me wonders if that has anything to do with her role."

"Any idea of what her role is or can be?" Dana asked as she lifted the tray with all the clean dishes, following Kate back out of the bathroom.

"No idea. But then again, I haven't tried looking it up, either." Kate opened her dorm door and let Dana enter first. "As far as I'm concerned, Max could never have a role and I'd be completely fine with it."

"Oh, I agree 100%." Dana waited for Kate to open her cabinet, then start taking the tea set from the tray and putting it away. "But I think it'd be good for Max, you know? Like, maybe it'd act as a confidence booster or something."

"That's a good point," Kate replied as she took the tray from Dana and put it away as well. "I remember when I finally found my role, how settled I felt afterwards. It was a good feeling." She closed her cabinet doors and turned to Dana. "I can only hope and pray that Miss Carter will find it. Max certainly isn't what we might call a typical role."

"Because if she was, Miss Carter would've found it by now?"

"That's my thinking."

"Gotcha." Dana suddenly grinned. "Can you imagine if Max was a completely new and undiscovered role? Maybe it'd be named after her, like Maxine-something or other."

"You know she'd hate if her full name was used."

"Yeah, that's true. But 'Max the Max' doesn't sound any better."

The two shared a giggle, then Dana smiled. "Thanks for having me over."

"And thank you for helping me clean up. Just do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Don't tell Max about the table cloth. She'll most likely blame herself for it getting 'ruined' even though it's perfectly fine and I don't mind in the slightest."

"My lips are sealed." Dana stepped forward and gave Kate another hug. "You have a good rest of the evening, okay?"

"You too." She let go and watched as Dana stepped to the door and open it. "And try to finish up with those Mesopotamians before the night is through."

"Ugh," was Dana's reply as she rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

 

* * *

 

Max sat in a chair in the basement laundry room, reading the last part of her novel while waiting for the dryer to finish. She was fortunate that all of her clothes tended to fit into one wash load. Since she didn't have anything super delicate to worry about, she never bothered separating whites from colors or anything fancy like her mom had taught her. Maybe that meant that some of her socks weren't as vibrant as they could've been but saving $.75 was far more important to her than maintaining the whiteness of her whites. She did, however, keep her bras from the dryer. Those she'd air dry in her room.

She had finally finished reading the chapter in her book and was about to go back and review a couple of things when the laundry room door opened, revealing Sarah and her own basket of dirty clothes. Max quickly looked down to her book, not really seeing the words, as Sarah ignored her presence completely to start on her laundry. Which was fine by Max. The rare times Sarah had ever paid attention to her in the past were filled with caustic remarks like what Victoria and Taylor used to do. No need to restart that trend.

A couple of minutes later, the sound of two washing machines cranking up joined with the noise of the dryer Max was using. However, she didn't hear Sarah leave. Instead, Max started feeling a rather familiar and uncomfortable itch that told her someone was staring at her. She swallowed. Being the focus of Sarah's attention was so not good. But, past experience taught her that trying to ignore Sarah would just make things worse. So, rather than drag things out, Max lifted her gaze.

As expected, Sarah was staring at her, arms crossed in front of her chest. Thankfully, she wasn't glaring at Max like she was a bug in serious need of squashing. Not yet, anyway. Still, Max didn't dare relax. Who knew what was going to happen next.

After a long moment of silence, Sarah spoke. "I've heard that you've been asking around about Dom and sub stuff. Trying to figure yourself out. Discover your role."

Max nodded. "Y-yes."

Sarah snorted. "Don't know why you're bothering when the answer is screamingly obvious. I figure even someone as dumb as you would've figured it out by now." She jammed a finger in Max's direction. "You're a whore." She smirked when Max flinched away, then ticked off her fingers one at a time as she continued. "You try to be everyone's friend, though you can't succeed; you can't make up your mind about what you actually like so you try to like everything; you try so desperately to get others to like you that you can't ever be yourself; and you're so desperate for attention that you streaked across campus, never mind you have the curves of the Tobanga Totem."

She lowered her hand and turned away, grabbing her bottle of detergent. "Face facts, Maxine: you try to please everyone because you're no one. Though I suppose I can understand why. If I was as pathetic as you, I would've killed myself by now." Sarah walked away and opened the door to the laundry room, then paused. "Maybe you should quit trying to be a photographer and look into working at a clinic," she said over her shoulder. "Whores are useful there, from what I gather." Her parting shot delivered, Sarah left, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. She had no idea why Taylor had informed her that Maxine was off-limits, nor would she explain her reasoning, but the last time she checked, Taylor wasn't the boss of her. So, fuck it. Have a bit of fun. It'd been a while.

Long after Sarah had left, Max sat in her chair, completely still, Sarah's words echoing in her head. When the buzzer from her dryer sounded, she rose and mechanically pulled her laundry free and dropped it into her hamper. She gathered up the rest of her belongings and made her way back to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

She didn't bother with her lights, just set her hamper down next to her dresser, then sat on the edge of her bed. Sometimes, she folded her laundry right after bringing it upstairs so they wouldn't be wrinkled, but right now, Max had a lot more on her mind.

Her role.

What Sarah said.

…was she right?

On the surface, it seemed like Sarah was just being her usual insulting self but so many things she said rang true. It _did_ seem like Max was trying to be everyone's friend. She _didn't_ have any idea what she liked or didn't like. She _did_ streak across campus. Miss Carter said that was a cry for help, but what was a cry for help other than a shout for attention?

Max slowly rotated the silicone bangles around her wrist, her thoughts going in circles. Gone were the kind words of Dana and Kate and Rachel. Forgotten was the advice of Steph and Chloe and Victoria. All that was in her mind was the cruel truth from Sarah on infinite repeat in her head.

Maybe...

Maybe Sarah was right. What she said sounded mean and cruel but sometimes, the truth hurt. Max knew that more than anyone. And the truth was, she had no clue. No idea of what she was, how most of the D/S stuff worked. Was so ignorant that she needed a special hand-holding assignment just to get the most basic of hints. She was dumb, she knew. Stupid. Unable to decide what she liked. Ugly. Who'd want her, stick that she was, with her bland clothing, crap shoes, lousy makeup, and stupid freckles.

Pathetic.

Slowly, Max slid under her covers, wanting to just turn her head off for a while. Stop hearing the voice that kept the truth repeating in her head.

Hide.

Max heard her phone buzz, saw the notification light blinking in the dark of her room, but couldn't be bothered to check. No. There was no need. She didn't need to bother anyone with her dumb, pathetic self. Whoever it was deserved someone genuine. Someone who was real and not a phony like her. Who could actually answer the question, "What am I?" and not pretend to be dozens of other roles in a sad attempt to be liked.

Fake.

She closed her eyes. It made perfect sense. Acting like she did, Max was trying to somehow garner pity to buy friends. Look at how helpless I am. Woe is me. Help me. And while you're here, be my friend. Don't leave. She tricked them. Kate, Rachel, Dana, she tricked everyone into somehow liking her.

Max was a terrible person. Cruel. She didn't deserve to know them, to be near them, didn't deserve them at all.

Whore.

Whores don't deserve friends...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty much finished a few days ago but I opted not to post it immediately. Instead, I first needed to ensure that the events of chapter 37 flowed correctly and made sense before committing to posting this one. Also, I apologize to any Sarah fans out there. I needed a bit of a villain here and because I've already converted Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney to Max's side, she was the only one left that fit the bill.
> 
> If anyone out there thinks it's a bit unusual for Max to spiral down this fast despite all the goodness she'd experienced all weekend, trust me when I say that when someone suffers from major depression, this is sadly normal. I know from firsthand experience that it can take literally seconds for your mood to plummet for seemingly no reason at all. One moment, you're feeling okay, or even fine, and the next, absolute shit. It fucking sucks. Minor spoilers, though: this won't last. Chapter 37 is centered around Max recovering from the devastating blow to her self-esteem while the preliminary outline of chapter 38 has it being repaired in full, and then some.
> 
> The "argument" about who gets the last piece of cheesy bread is a call-out to R4tmptshkbra's comment in the fic [Tea date with cookies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18609169/chapters/44120122) by [simpletextadventure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpletextadventure/pseuds/simpletextadventure), who pointed a simple truth: very often, the last of anything left from a lunch or dinner never gets eaten because everyone is too polite to actually eat it. Me? I never have that problem. I ask exactly once and if anyone says, "Go for it," that last piece is gone.
> 
> The other bondage book I mentioned here, _Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes_ , is a reference to TheCortex's comment in the last chapter because why not? ;-)
> 
> Shout-out to [dryadfiona](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dryadfiona/pseuds/dryadfiona) for posting [do you know where the wild things go?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18707692), part 2 of the [brighter than the stars](https://archiveofourown.org/series/868413) series, the first of which was originally posted about a year and a half ago. The basic premise is, what if all of your favorite Blackwell students, Max, Chloe, Rachel, Kate, had supernatural powers or were supernatural creatures, but things were cute and fluffy and not end-of-the-world panic-inducing? I rather enjoyed it and found both parts a nice, relaxing change of pace from a bunch of other fics I'm currently reading.
> 
> Onwards to chapter 37. Wish me luck!


	37. Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out! I mentioned this in a Tumblr post but my work schedule has changed and, thanks to a couple of other people getting laid off, I'm now the only CSR on the phones. I typically got a lot of my writing done at work during the slow periods but there's a distinct lack of slow periods nowadays. And when I do write, I get distracted a lot more often, meaning making a coherent whole is a whole lot tougher. But regardless of all that, I hope you enjoy!

Dana was a fairly early riser. Not super early; she wasn't Victoria, after all. But early enough to get in a light jog on most weekdays, Mondays especially. And today was no exception. After a weekend of fun and excitement (or boring and ordinary, didn't matter to her), she enjoyed getting her blood pumping as a way of starting the new week on the right foot.

Most people hated Mondays. Dana, though, never minded them. New week, new possibilities, all that motivational poster stuff. Last week had been tough but after Max's birthday party, the continued celebration the rest of the day, sleeping with Juliet that same evening, and an unexpected pep talk from Blackwell's very own cinnamon roll last night, Dana was feeling great. She was genuinely looking forward to today.

Dana had a new reason to look forward to Monday mornings nowadays, though: World History. Or, more specifically, the fact that Max shared the class with her. Dana smiled to herself as she walked back to the main campus from the track. Max was just so nice. Sweet. Cute, too, but more importantly, a good friend and a great listener. It felt good being around her, the shy hipster who loved photography and cared so deeply for others. Was it any wonder that she, along with apparently half the girls' floor, was crushing on Max?

She giggled slightly to herself, not paying attention to the odd look thrown her way. She was happy. For the first time in over a week, Dana was feeling incredible. She grabbed herself a light breakfast in the cafeteria and swiped a banana for a mid-morning snack later, then hopped back over to the dorms for a shower. One change of clothes later and she was gathering up her school stuff, thinking that perhaps she'd grab Max and they'd walk to class together. She knocked on Max's door but received no response. Dana gave a mental shrug as she turned away. No biggie, she'd be seeing her quite soon.

When Dana reached World History, she discovered why Max hadn't answered her door: she was already there, seated at her customary position in the back of the class. Dana grinned and took two steps forward, then slowed. Looking at Max more carefully, Dana could tell something was wrong. Max's body language seemed... sad? Tired? Dana wasn't sure but whatever it was, it had to stop. So, without further ado, she made her way to Max's side, leaned down, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Max."

Max started, like she had just woken up. She jerked her head in Dana's direction. "Oh! Um, good morning." Like usual, she turned a bit red at the sign of affection but unlike normal, she didn't attempt to engage in conversation. Instead, she turned away to stare blankly at her notebook.

Not a good sign. Dana tried not to let Max's lack of response bother her and sat down next to her at the table. "How're you feeling?"

Max fidgeted in her seat a bit but still didn't look over at her. "...fine. Just tired."

Dana knew all about that phrase. "Just tired" was universal code for "Something's bothering me but I don't want to talk about it." It's one she'd used herself, when the shit with Logan got to her and people around her noticed. Thinking quickly, she opted against pushing. She'd still offer a sympathetic ear, though. She cared too much not to. Dana reached out a hand to lightly brush Max's shoulder. "Hey, no problem. But, just in case there's something else, you can always talk to me, okay?"

She watched as Max swallowed heavily, then turn in her direction. She gave Dana a small smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. "Thanks. I, um, appreciate it."

A bad sign.

The teacher entered the class just then and, even though he was a minute or so early, that was the signal for class to begin. Everyone quieted down and pulled out their notebooks, Dana included. But 15 minutes into the lecture, after she'd taken nearly a full page of notes, it finally occurred to her what she was hearing:

Nothing.

Max wasn't saying her usual pithy comments like Dana was used to hearing. Instead, she was being incredibly quiet. Too quiet, in fact. Dana glanced over and saw Max was awake but completely lost in her own head. Her expression worried Dana. Because now that she was looking at her more carefully, she could tell Max wasn't sad. She was morose. Depressed.

Defeated.

Alarm bells started going off in Dana's head. Taking a look towards the front of the class, she saw her teacher was, once again, lecturing to the whiteboard instead of the class. Good. Dana took the opportunity to pull her phone into her lap and fire off a quick text, then put it away. Maybe Max wasn't ready to talk to her and maybe their friendship wasn't strong enough yet for Dana to push Max to talk about what was eating her. But she knew of someone who could definitely help.

When class was over, Dana watched as Max quietly put her stuff away and trudge out of the room. She didn't acknowledge Dana at all, something that would've hurt her feelings more if she wasn't aware of the crushing weight Max was now carrying. Something was seriously wrong and Dana could only hope their friend could help.

 

* * *

 

Algebra came and went with no issues. Nothing new or exciting, just numbers and formulas that didn't make a lick of sense to her even on a good day. But like in World History, focus eluded her, so she was grateful it was finally over.

Now, Max sat at her desk in her dorm, trying to do her report for Miss Carter. She didn't have the energy to do it this morning, despite waking up early, so, once again, lunch was today's casualty. Sadly, breakfast had also been skipped due to a supreme lack of appetite, and she was starting to feel it. She was hoping to knock the report out, then grab something before lunch ended, but so far, that was looking impossible. She just couldn't concentrate. Her attempts at sentences were amateurish and, at best, her paragraphs were disjointed. Even with her notes, her thoughts were a mangled mess and it was all because she couldn't stop thinking about her role:

Whore.

At long last, she finally had the answer to the question: what am I? She should be happy, right? Never mind the role sounded so insulting. Or had negative connotations. It fit. She should accept that and be done with it. Then, slowly, ween herself from her friends. She didn't want to, though. She'd gotten so used to having friends. People she cared about so much, people that cared about her. But, what choice did she have? She lied to them. Tricked them. If not for her role, they'd probably be off enjoying their lives without her interference. They deserved better. Better than some fake. They were going to hate her when Max finally explained herself, so the sooner she started putting distance between herself and them, the better, right?

Wait.

She blinked as a horrible thought came to her. Was she a Whore even before she moved away? Shit, shit, shit! That made everything even worse! She always knew it was all her fault, moving away, ignoring Chloe, being so fucking stupid and useless, hurting her friend that way. But to know she tricked Chloe all the way back then, too?

Max's stomach churned violently, making her grateful she hadn't eaten. Dammit, she really did ruin everything. She had to keep get away from everyone, soon, before she hurt them any worse than she already did. Before she ruined their lives, too. Even if it was painful. But she deserved it, right? She deserved the pain. For being stupid. For being a Whore. And should the pain, the regret, the remorse, the guilt, get to be too much...

She wiped the tears from her eyes. She was so pathetic. To feel this bad even though she was the one at fault here. She deserved to be hated and shunned. If only she hadn't come to Blackwell, she wouldn't have tricked so many people. If only she had never met Chloe, she wouldn't have ruined her life. If only she hadn't been born.

Max sniffed loudly and grabbed a couple of tissues, swiping at her eyes and nose, then shook her head. She had to stop feeling so sorry for herself. Her report was due today and she needed to start writing, even if she'd rather crawl into bed and stay there for the rest of the year. No need to irritate Miss Carter by being late turning in her assignment. But, dog, the words. Just. Wouldn't. Come.

She lowered her head into her hands and groaned softly. This was impossible right now. If only she could put it off until later, when her head finally settled. Max sniffed again, then blinked at the thought. Maybe she could? Send Miss Carter a quick letter, apologizing for the delay. She'd understand, right? If not, well, Max was a master at disappointing people, so why should this be any different? She could always beg for forgiveness later.

Not that she deserved it.

Shoving that aside, Max got to work. This time, the words came quick. Her message was considerably shorter than her last e-mail but that didn't matter. The most important thing was to apologize and also tell Miss Carter about what happened since it had the potential of changing her entire D/S assignment.

> Dear Miss Carter,
> 
> I am so sorry that I haven't completed my report yet. I got caught up in something very important but still related to the study and it's been occupying my mind so much, I haven't been able to think straight. The report deserves more attention than I can give right now but I promise I'll finish it soon. I just needed to let you know this right away:
> 
> I think I found my role. I ran into someone last night in the laundry room and she explained that based on the evidence, I'm a Whore. I try to get people to like me constantly, I don't know what kinks I really like so instead I try to like them all, I can't ever be myself because I'm too busy trying to be everyone's friend, and I was so desperate for attention that I ran across campus naked. The words were a bit painful to hear but sometimes, the truth hurts. I know that. So now, I just have to accept it.
> 
> But now, I have a bigger problem: what do I tell my friends? I've been lying to them this entire time, tricking them into liking me, though I didn't mean to. What if they hate me for how I've manipulated them? But, don't they have the right to be angry at me? Would they'd accept my apologies? Because I didn't know what I was doing?
> 
> I also don't know how this might affect my D/S study. Please let me know what, if anything, I should be doing different, and if I should turn in my collar for something more appropriate, whatever that may be.
> 
> Max Caulfield  
>  Whore

Max clicked Send, then sighed. There. Done. She glanced at the clock in the corner of her laptop, seeing there was still plenty of time before more math, then closed the laptop lid. Maybe she could head over to the cafeteria and grab a bottle of juice or something. She still wasn't hungry but it was something.

She stood and emptied her messenger bag of her World History stuff and added in her Photography materials, photo as well, then went over to her door. She was about to open it when a knock from the other side startled her. She managed to take a half-step back, which was the only reason why the door didn't bang her in the nose when it swung open, though she was nowhere near fast enough to dodge the incoming Rachel, who wound up walking straight into her.

"Oof!"

The pair experienced the most awkward dance in human history as they swayed to and fro, a tangle of flailing limbs and spinning bodies, before managing to separate. By some miracle, neither fell girl fell to her ass, though it was a close thing. Max and Rachel stared at each other for a long moment afterwards before Rachel burst out laughing.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" Rachel said as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I suppose that'll teach me to wait for a response before barging into your room."

"I don't mind when you do," Max replied, Rachel's good humor bringing a slight smile to her face. "It was just bad luck that I was about to walk out at the same time."

"Oh? Where were you headed?"

Max shuffled her feet. "Um, just to the cafeteria. I--"

"Perfect!" Rachel thrust out a hand that Max now saw was holding a brown paper bag. "I was hoping you'd say that. Since I didn't see you there, I figured you might be here, slaving away behind the keyboard, so I brought you lunch." She grinned even as she reached out and took Max's hand in hers. "Now, we can have a picnic."

"I—" Max was given no chance to protest before Rachel pulled her into the hallway. She was barely able to close her door behind her. "Rachel--"

The blonde in question tossed her a wide grin over her shoulder. "Sorry! Just happy to spend some time with you right now. I only have a half-hour of Max-time and I mean to enjoy every second of it."

Max felt herself flush at Rachel's words. She was always like that, flattering Max, making her feel so wonderful. The momentary joy she felt faded rapidly, though, as she realized this might be the last time she'd ever get to be with Rachel, to hold her hand, to hear such kind words from her. It was going to be over soon.

Rachel, in the meantime, wasn't blind to Max's current mood. But she was primed to help and had her approach planned ever since she received Dana's text. Knowing Max would probably be hiding in her room, Rachel beelined it to the cafeteria once second period was over, got a couple of lunches to go, touched base with Dana, then went to find her friend. And she wasn't leaving her until Max was better.

In very short order, Rachel and Max sat across from one another at one of the many picnic tables that dotted the campus, this one closer to the D/S training building than the dorms. Rachel picked it because it had the perfect combination of sun, shade, and privacy. "Okay," Rachel began, emptying out the lunch bag. "We have a ham and Swiss, a turkey and cheese, presumably American, one bag each of Cheetos and Doritos, and a banana we can split." She looked up and grinned. "Get it? Banana we can split?"

Despite her mood, Max giggled. "That was Chloe-levels of awful, you know."

"Aw, thanks!" Rachel replied with a bright smile. "I'll be happy to let her know her training's paid off." She reached into the bottom of the bag and withdrew a couple of bottles. "And to drink, a bottle each of orange and apple juice. Your pick."

"Um, apple, please."

"Sure thing," Rachel replied, handing the bottle over.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Aaaaaaaannd?" Rachel asked, pushing the sandwiches in Max's direction.

"Oh. Um, I'm actually not that hungry."

Which is what Rachel figured. But. "What'd you have for breakfast?"

Max fidgeted in her seat, knowing what was coming. "I, um, skipped breakfast."

Rachel nodded, having expected the answer. "If you missed breakfast, you definitely shouldn't miss lunch. Don't want to faint again, right? Well," she tilted her head to one side as she considered, "not unless you want one of us to catch you in our arms again. I know Victoria definitely wouldn't mind. I think she's developed a taste for it." She grinned at Max's soft snort of amusement.

"No. Once was more than enough." Max looked at the pair of sandwiches. "I'll take the ham, please."

"Excellent." Rachel slid the sandwich over and started opening the other for herself. "Go ahead and chow down. And grab whatever chips you want. I'm good with either. Or, we can share."

"I'm fine with sharing," Max replied. "I'm cool with both, too."

"Sweet."

As the pair ate, Rachel filled the air with random thoughts and bits of knowledge from her morning classes and homework assignments. Max found that her appetite hadn't really come back but didn't want to disappoint Rachel, who had gone through so much trouble for her. She opened her wrapped sandwich and nibbled a bit, but spent more time just listening to Rachel. It helped, being this close to her, hearing her chat, watching her be so lively, though any enjoyment she might've felt was tempered by the knowledge of what was to come.

Setting aside the second half of her sandwich, Rachel peeled the banana, leaving part of the peel on, then set it down on a napkin. She started slicing the banana into even pieces with a plastic knife. "So, what's up?"

"Hmm?" was Max's response, swallowing a bite.

"Dana mentioned you seemed a bit bummed out this morning," Rachel clarified, deciding that being open and honest was the best approach here. "She didn't want to push since she wasn't sure if you'd be ready to talk yet, especially surrounded by other people." Setting the knife aside, Rachel speared a piece of banana with a plastic fork. "But now, it's just the two of us. And I care way too much to just let you go without at least trying to help. So, talk to me. Tell me what's up. Maybe I can help, maybe not, but no matter what, I'm here for you." She popped the piece in her mouth and chewed while raising an eyebrow at Max.

Who looked away. "Um." Shit. But then again, this was Rachel. She said she didn't hate Max before (though that was likely to change) so maybe, just like her D/S assignment, if she started her apologies with Rachel, now, it'd make all the rest easier to handle. "I think I discovered my role," she said quietly.

Surprise followed by joy erupted on Rachel's face, before she realized that Max was the complete opposite of happy. She tamped down her excitement and schooled her expression into soft curiosity. "I'd normally be jumping for joy on your behalf but I get the impression that it's not good news?"

"It should be." Max shifted in her seat and looked at Rachel. "After so long, I should be happy to finally know. It's just… Knowing it kind of bummed me out."

Rachel speared another piece of banana and offered it at Max. "In what way?"

Max reached forward to take the piece with her fingers, then bit into it. "I…" She covered her mouth, realizing she was being rude. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Rachel gave Max an apologetic smile. "I suppose that was rude of me, to ask you a question then immediately put food in your mouth so you couldn't answer."

Max shook her head as she swallowed the bite. "No, it's okay. I…" She shifted again and turned a bit red. "I always liked when we ate together like this," she whispered. She'd miss things like this when Rachel left her.

Rachel noticed Max using past tense in her sentence and mentally filed it in a folder marked MAYDAY. "I do, too," she said simply, opting not to bring attention to it right away. Instead, she popped another banana slice in her mouth, then waved her hand in Max's general direction. "But tell me, why would the knowledge of your role bum you out?"

"Because…" Max swallowed, then forged ahead. "It made me question everything about myself. Helped me discover I've been lying to you and everyone else this entire time." She turned away and grasped her left elbow with her right hand. "And now I realize that everyone would be better off without me around so I can't continue to hurt them."

"Wha-- That's--" It was rare that Rachel was at a loss for words but hearing Max say those things utterly floored her. She needed a moment to gather herself. "Max, that's impossible. There's not a single one of your friends who would think they'd be better off without you. We love you too much."

"You won't, though," Max whispered. "Not for long. Once you know, you'll stop being my friend. Because even if I didn't know I was doing it, I've been tricking you into being my friend. You and everyone else deserve better."

What. The. Fuck. Rachel lowered her fork, then rose from her side of the table, being careful not to let her roiling emotions get the better of her. She came around to Max's side of the table and sat down, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulders. "Tell me, Max," she urged quietly. "Tell me what your role is." Because there was no fucking way any role would cause this level of pain. Something else had to be going on.

Max took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I'm a Whore."

A long, deafening silence followed her declaration. Max tensed, waiting for Rachel to pull away in disgust.

"What."

Max flinched. Rachel's voice was flat, cold, and _really_ pissed. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Please don't hate me."

Hearing the fear in Max's voice roused Rachel from the utter fury she was feeling. She closed her eyes and did her damnedest to keep her voice level. "I don't hate you, could never hate you. I'm not even mad _at_ you. I'm just mad at…" She stopped, then abruptly shifted gears. "Who told you that? Who told you what your role was?"

"Um, Sarah." Max swallowed. "I ran into her in the laundry room last night and she explained what I was. It sounded real insulting but then she raised several points and they all made sense."

That fucking, conniving bitch! "Which were…?" Rachel asked, calmly.

"That… that I try too hard to be everyone's friend, that since I don't know what I like, I try to like everything. That I can never be myself because I'm too busy trying to get everyone to like me. And I'm so desperate for attention I ran across campus naked." Max shook her head. "It just made so much sense because it's all true. And that's why I'm so sorry. I've been lying to everyone, trying so hard to be perfect for everyone, tricking them into liking me. I'm a terrible person."

"No, you're fucking not," Rachel interrupted Max, barely able to keep herself from launching from the table to find Sarah and tear her goddamn head off. Max needed her right now and she was infinitely more important that some bitch who deserved to be drop-kicked into the nearest dumpster fire. "Max, that's not even a real role. I've read up on a ton of roles, when I was trying to find mine, so believe me when I say that's not a real one. Sarah was insulting you like the useless piece of shit she is. She probably heard about your D/S assignment and found a way to use it as a weapon to mock you. Don't listen to her."

Max had considered that possibility this morning, she really did. But. "Even if she was insulting me, everything she said made sense. And you told me before that everything is subjective. What if I really am a Whore and no one's ever come up with the right definition before?"

"I also recall telling you that only you can decide what kind of sub you were," Rachel countered, "just like I'm the only person who can decide what kind of Domme I am." She shifted in her seat and, with the most gentle of touches, turned Max's head in her direction. "So, tell me: do you want to be a Whore? Is that what you wish to be?"

Max's eyes flicked between both of Rachel's, desperate to believe her. "No…"

"Then, you're not. Period." Rachel released Max's shoulder and shifted in her seat to face Max more fully. "If you don't believe me about that not being a real role, then talk to Miss Carter. I know she'll say the same thing. But right now, I want you to believe that you didn't trick me into becoming your friend. Not in the slightest. I decided I wanted to be your friend because you're so sweet and wonderful."

She smiled as the memory of their first meeting came to her. "Don't you remember? Near the beginning of the semester, trying to hide from me when I first approached you? You were so nervous, so shy, and you kept looking behind you, trying to see if I was trying to talk to someone else." She laid her hand on Max's clasped hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Trust me, that was no trick."

Max blinked as she, too, recalled their first meeting. "You…" She swallowed, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. "You're so beautiful, so outgoing, so popular, I was convinced you had to be talking to someone else. There's just no way someone like you could ever want to be with someone like me." She ducked her head and cleared her throat. "I still think that sometimes."

Rachel nodded her head slowly. "I think... that might be why Sarah's words hit you so hard. Why you believed her. Because sometimes, you still have that doubt. You still have the expectation of something going horribly wrong at any moment.

"But that's your depression talking to you again," Rachel continued, remembering what Kate had explained to Chloe and her Saturday morning. "Tricking you, lying to you, just like Sarah did. Hmm." She tilted her head to one side. "Actually, maybe that's a good way to think about your depression."

Max blinked as she looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Sarah's a cunt, right?" Rachel grinned as Max choked. "Okay, don't answer that. Let's just take that as a given. And for feeding you that line of horseshit, she kind of deserves to have her teeth introduced to the back of her throat with a handy crowbar, right?"

"Um--"

"Again, let's just take that as a given. So, the next time you start wondering if your friends don't love you, that we'd be better off without you, or anything to that effect, picture that it's Sarah saying it to you, then punch her in the face."

Max slowly smiled. That mental image should've been disturbing but instead, it actually made her feel a bit better. "Metaphorically, right?"

Rachel shrugged. "Either. I'm not picky, though say the word and I'll see if Samuel has a crowbar in his shed you can borrow."

Max snorted, though she was still smiling. "As amusing and perhaps satisfying as that might be, I'd rather not get expelled. So, mental image it is."

"Spoilsport," Rachel said with a grin, delighted that Max was smiling once more. Trying to keep that up, she swept her arm over the remains of their lunch. "Wouldst thou liketh to treat thyself with more of yon rare delicacies?"

Max giggled at her friend's rather overblown accent and, feeling a lot better, tried to reply in kind. "I am, um, quite satiated, Lady Amber, though, like the Sirens to, uh, Whatshisface, yonder Toes of Cheese doth call to me."

Rachel threw back her head and laughed heartily. "'Toes of cheese?'" she managed to get out.

"It's the best I could come up with at short notice!" Max protested with a slight grin.

"You're good, I promise." Rachel wiped imaginary tears from her eyes. "And it's Odysseus, but yeah, close enough."

Max nodded. "Gotcha."

"Here." Rachel reached out and grabbed the bag of unopened Cheetos, handing it over to Max. "Keep this as a snack, especially since we didn't eat everything. Normally, I'd offer to rewrap the food for later but I don't think the rest of the food will keep."

"Probably not," Max said as the pair started gathering up everything and dumping it into the paper bag.

As they were cleaning up, the 5-minute bell went off, alerting everyone that the lunch period was ending soon. Rachel snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right." She turned to Max. "Can you do me a huge favor and dump this?" she asked, motioning towards the paper bag. "I have to run to my room and grab something for next period."

"Sure." Max took the bag in question, then shifted from one foot to the other. "Thanks. Um, for everything. I…"

Rachel wrapped her arms around Max, already knowing what she was trying to say. "Always, Max. Always, always, always." She smiled as she felt Max return the hug, then slowly let go. "I'll see you sometime later, okay?"

"Okay. Take care until then."

"You, too!"

 

* * *

 

Math Lab, like Algebra, came and went with no hiccups. It just sucked more because, as an afternoon class, it was an hour and a half long versus the 55 minutes of a standard class. So, a subject Max was bad at and an extra long period to boot. Ugh. Fortunately for everyone present, Miss Baines was a pretty cool teacher and allowed the students to have snacks and drinks so long as everyone cleaned up after themselves. This meant that Max, whose appetite was coming back, was able to snack on the Cheetos from lunch. She was careful about scarfing them down, though, since she only had so much leftover apple juice to go around and couldn't leave the class to refill the bottle with water. Thankfully, she had just enough to last.

During the five minute period between Lab and Photography, Max took the opportunity to go to the restroom to wash her hands (she didn't want Cheeto dust on her photos) and rinse out her empty apple juice bottle, filling it with water from the fountain just in case she needed something to drink during her final class. When she stepped inside Photography class, though, Mr. Jefferson called out to her before she could take her seat. "Max? A moment, please."

"Um, okay." Max stepped over to Mr. Jefferson's desk, hoping she wasn't about to get scolded for not turning in something for the Everyday Heroes contest yet.

What he said instead was completely unexpected. "Miss Carter dropped by a moment ago. She wants to see you immediately." He nodded his head towards the classroom door. "Go ahead, and don't worry. You won't be docked for attendance."

"I…" Max shifted from one foot to the next, a sudden bout of nerves striking. "Okay." She turned and walked out from the room, not noticing Victoria and Taylor both giving her a careful look as they passed one another.

It was a rather short trip from Photography to Miss Carter's office but was more than long enough for Max's head to spin itself into circles. Maybe she was upset at Max for not doing her report? Maybe she was irritated that Max had presumed a role for herself, which was Miss Carter's job? Or… Oh shit. Max started to panic as her thoughts crashed. Miss Carter was going to confirm Max was a Whore. Despite what Rachel said. And that her assignment was over. She was going to ask Max for the collar back. Change her course load. Order her to apologize to everyone. Inform Max that she was no longer welcome here. Whores don't go to good schools like Blackwell. Max was done, finished, expelled, why even try, what good was she, why even be alive--

"Max?"

Miss Carter slowly stood from her desk, seeing Max hovering right outside her open door and on the verge of a full-fledged panic attack. "Max, I want you to focus on my voice. Gentle. Soft." She saw Max's eyes flick in her general direction, though they remained unfocused. "Good, Max, you're doing good. Easy. Calm and serene. If you can hear my voice, take a deep breath." The resulting shaky breath was far from deep but told her that Max was responsive. "Excellent. A good start. Take another. There you go. And another, nice and easy.

"On your next breath, I want you to lift your hand. Good. I'm going to take your hand and guide you into my office." Miss Carter gave Max's hand the most gentle of tugs and was gratified that Max followed her prompting. "You're safe, Max. Safe, right here with me." Miss Carter closed the door behind Max, then gently guided her to the couch. "Continue listening to my voice, and breathe. Good. Now, close your eyes." Miss Carter stepped closer when Max did so. "You're doing great. I'm going to touch your arm now. Nothing to be alarmed about. I'm going to guide you to sit on the couch. Lean forward a bit and... good. Excellent. Nice and relaxed." Miss Carter joined Max on the couch and maintained her hold on Max's hand. "And now, breathe in, two, three, four. And out, two, three, four. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four."

Miss Carter repeated her breathing exercise for a couple of minutes, until Max was finally calm. While she wasn't absolutely certain what caused Max to almost break down, she had a pretty damn good idea. Time to nip that source of anxiety in the bud. "And now, when you're ready, open your eyes."

Max did so, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light level in the room. She looked down at the floor. "Sorry, Miss Carter."

"Any why are you apologizing, Max?"

"Um..." Max shifted in her seat. "For, um, freaking out. For..." She turned her attention to Miss Carter and froze. Her guidance counselor was wearing a very modest and professional outfit consisting of a navy blue knee-length skirt, nude hose, low-heeled shoes, and a cream-colored blouse. Except the blouse was sleeveless. Max's lips parted slightly as her eyes took in the musculature now on display. Dog, she looked like she could bench press tanks with those arms!

Miss Carter, of course, noticed Max's gaze but paid it little mind. If she didn't want people to look, she wouldn't have worn a sleeveless blouse, after all. Plus, she didn't want to embarrass Max by pointing out her wandering eye. That would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

"I do apologize for summoning you from your favorite class," Miss Carter began, changing the subject from Max's misplaced guilt, "but I wished to speak to you as soon as possible regarding your e-mail." She gave Max a gentle smile when the girl snapped back to awareness. "If I had simply replied to your message, there was too much of a risk that you wouldn't have received it until late into the day, if at all, and I didn't want you to dwell on completely false information."

Max blinked. "False information...?"

"Yes," Miss Carter said with a nod. "I wanted to give you my personal, and, more importantly, my professional assurances that 'whore' is not a real role. Period."

It took several moments before what Miss Carter said to really sink in, but when it did, the flood of emotion hit Max hard. She sniffed. "Really?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Max." Miss Carter stood and grabbed hold of the box of tissues on her desk. "That word is nothing more than a vicious insult designed to debase, devalue, and demean," she explained as she retook her seat and offered the box to Max, who took a couple of tissues and blew her nose. "It certainly isn't used in any official capacity. Even D/S facilities have barred that term from being used, it's hated so much."

Max sniffed and blew her nose again. "I…" She took another tissue and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, relief evident in her voice.

"You're quite welcome." Miss Carter waited, sensing that Max had more to say.

A couple of moments later, Max continued. "I ran into Rachel at lunch." Max suddenly snorted out a wet chuckle. "Um, I guess it's more accurate to say she ran into me. But we spoke a bit and she said the same thing." She finally lifted her gaze. "I was just scared that, as subjective as roles are, maybe I was one and there was a different name for it, or perhaps it was my role but no one liked using the title since it's so negative."

"While I can understand the apprehension," Miss Carter began, "with you being so new at all of this, rest assured 'whore' has never been nor ever will be a role. I promise that whoever told you that was insulting you in the worst way possible."

"Okay." Max looked down at her clasped hands as more of what Rachel said came to mind. "Okay," she repeated softly.

"What are you thinking about?" Miss Carter asked after a moment of silence.

Max fidgeted slightly as she considered whether she should answer or not. It was kind of stupid. But, Miss Carter was a guidance counselor. She'd be fine with the answer, right? "I… was just thinking that I was stupid to listen to Sarah. The one who told me that stuff. She never had anything nice to say to me before, so why did I pay attention this time? Why didn't I just tell her to shove it?"

"You're not stupid," Miss Carter stated firmly. "That's number one. Number two, you are a trusting person, which is certainly not a negative trait, though it can make you a target for individuals with less-than-noble intentions. And number three, Sarah knew precisely what to say to bypass any defenses you'd normally have against a verbal attack of that nature to hit you right where it would hurt the most. Sadly, that's the mark of a bully who has been doing this for quite some time." Miss Carter made a mental note to review Sarah's file and call her into her office later. "But the most important thing I want you to take from this is this: her willingness to take advantage of your trusting nature says more about her than it does you. You have done absolutely nothing wrong here, Max. She did."

Max nodded her head but took a long moment before she was able to raise her head and look at Miss Carter. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thank you," she whispered, a tremulous smile on her face.

"You're very welcome." Miss Carter sat back on the couch. "The other thing I wished to tell you is not to stress about the report. I understand that sometimes extra time may be needed for any sort of school assignment, never mind a D/S one like you're doing now. As there's no firm time-table on completing it, I have no problem allowing extensions as needed, so long as you continue to work on it as hard as you've been."

Max nodded, and felt the rest of the tension in her shoulders lift. "Thank you so much. I'll do everything I can to get it done this afternoon, though."

"Perfect. Like I said yesterday morning, you're doing incredibly well with your assignment so I have no doubt whatsoever that this upcoming report will be as good as the others."

Max could feel the heat rising up her neck at the praise and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Miss Carter." She blinked as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Miss Carter?"

"Yes?"

"The e-mail you sent out to the entire school, I saw it was signed 'Lynda Carter, PhD.'" She shifted in her seat. "You… Um, I mean, it's okay to call you 'Miss' instead of 'Doctor,' right? I mean, you introduced yourself as 'Miss Carter' so I guess it's okay, but I was wondering why you don't want to be called Doctor?"

Miss Carter smiled. Max must be feeling better already if her curiosity was hard at work again. "I prefer not to use the title of Doctor for a couple of different reasons. The first has to do with connotations. When most people hear the title of Doctor, they immediately assume it refers to a medical doctor of some sort. I, of course, am not one, so to avoid any potential confusion, I opt not to use it. The second reason is intimidation. Back when I first started, I discovered that when speaking to young adults, the title of Doctor put them at ease since they had the expectation of speaking to a professional. It was the exact opposite for high school students, however. They were constantly worried that anything they'd say would be beneath the attentions of a doctor. Overall, it would take extra time and sessions to get them to relax enough to speak openly. Dropping the title eliminated 90% of that intimidation factor right out of the gate, making everything else so much easier."

"Okay," Max said with a nod. "That makes a lot of sense. Thank you, for, um, answering, and for being such a great guidance counselor to sacrifice your earned title for our sake."

Miss Carter had to fight to keep the surprise off her face. She'd never been complimented for her choice before. Ever. "It's no sacrifice at all, but thank you for your kindness."

Max turned away and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're welcome." She could feel her cheeks getting warm again. Fortunately for her growing embarrassment, Miss Carter rose from the couch, successfully breaking up what had the potential of becoming an awkward moment for her. She stood as well. "Thank you, again, for seeing me so quickly. I'm feeling a whole lot better now."

"Glad to hear it." Miss Carter escorted Max to the door and opened it. "If Mr. Jefferson requires a note, let me know and I'll provide one."

"He told me I wouldn't be docked, so I'm sure it's fine."

"Excellent. Have a good rest of your day, then."

"You, too."

Max left Miss Carter's office, feeling a whole lot lighter. She decided to stop by the bathroom before heading to class, to splash some water on her face and take a moment to just think. As she dried her face with a couple of paper towels, she came to a decision. The next time her head started feeding her a line of shit, she was going follow Rachel's advice and picture Sarah's face, then punch it. And then, she'd try to remember Kate's words, as well as Dana's and Rachel's. Chloe's, too. So many of her friends who have told her they have her back, that she could talk to them about anything. She really needed to start doing that. Dog, why did she forget them so easily?

Oh, right. Depression. Max shook her head as she balled up her paper towels and dumped them in the garbage. Okay, so maybe she'd punch Sarah's face _twice_. Metaphorically, of course. But, later. For now, it was time to finish class.

 

* * *

 

The bell sounded, announcing to the world that classes were done for the day. Sarah sat back on her stool and contemplated her landscape. Not... quite what she wanted. Not bad, certainly, but the river didn't seem, well, watery enough for her. Her teacher apparently agreed, having given her a B+ on the test. Sarah snorted softly to herself. Wet-on-wet oil painting was a lot trickier than Bob Ross ever made it look.

Some of her peers left their canvas to dry overnight but Sarah opted to recycle her canvas to reuse later. She picked up a modified 6-inch putty knife and proceeded to scrape over her entire work, removing the thick paint one wide swath at a time. Soon, all that was left behind were multi-colored smears which she ran over with a 3-inch brush, smoothing out the lines left behind by the scraping. In short order, she had a nice, reusable surface that she'd cover up with an even coat of lead white later. She preferred using a new canvas at home but for class, this was fine.

Sarah gathered up her brushes, palette knives, and the putty knife, then made her way to one of the sinks. She got to work, rinsing the brushes in the paint remover solution, cleaning the bristles with a gentle soap, setting them aside to dry. This was the only problem with using oils: the extra cleaning time. She didn't mind, though. Good art takes time and a good artist takes care of her tools.

Once she was done, she secured her tools in her designated drawer, locking it closed. Not everyone had a drawer. Some of her peers took their tools with them while others left their brushes and whatnot out on the long counter in various cups. Sarah, though, didn't like to chance someone swiping her brushes and ruining them through poor use or improper care. So, she paid the little extra for the added security.

After washing her hands, Sarah gathered up her backpack and exited the class. She was typically the last to leave and today was no exception. She didn't mind, though, especially because it meant she'd have the nearby ladies room all to herself. If it's one thing she hated, it was using the facilities with other people around. It wasn't a weird phobia or anything; Sarah just appreciated her privacy. After all, if last night was any proof, not having the bathroom to yourself could result in people learning some very unusual secrets about you.

Sarah smirked. Poor, gullible Maxine. Yes, she was well aware that Maxine preferred "Max," but what did she care? Not like Maxine was anyone important. Just another scholarship kid who thought her hipster persona was enough to scrape by at a prestigious art school like Blackwell. She snorted as she stood and fixed her clothing. As-if. She flushed, then opened the door to her stall. If she had her way, then--

A vicious punch to the gut cut off Sarah's train of thought and robbed her of any meaningful breath. She staggered forward a half-step, clutching her abdomen, and dropped to her knees, wheezing. A violent kick from behind knocked her face-first into the floor and, before she even had a chance to recover, felt someone dropped on top of her, knees on her upper and lower back. She sucked in a breath and tried to push herself upright, but before she could, the person pinning her to the floor grabbed her arm and wrenched behind her back in a painful lock.

Sarah winced and opened her mouth to yell but was foiled when a stream of water was poured onto her face. She sputtered and spit, shock rapidly turning into anger, and twisted her head in the other direction. "What the--!" She squeezed her eyes shut as whoever had her pinned to the floor twisted her wrist painfully in one direction.

"Tsk, tsk."

Recognition struck. Victoria. Sarah's eyes flew open and finally saw she wasn't alone in the bathroom. Just a few feet away stood Rachel, Dana, Steph, and Taylor, with Victoria in the lead. They'd somehow snuck into the room so quietly, she didn't notice. And now, all of them were glaring at her in utter contempt.

Victoria shook her head in mock dismay as she screwed the cap back onto her water bottle. "Poor, poor clumsy Sarah. To slip on a puddle of water in the bathroom and break her wrist trying to catch herself. Such a tragedy." She turned her head slightly to the left, her eyes never leaving Sarah's. "Isn't that right, ladies?"

"Yup."

"Tragic."

"Total accident."

"Shoulda been watching where she's going."

Sarah watched them with a growing sense of dread. She knew how much Victoria and Rachel hated each other. For them to team up like this, against her...?

Victoria squatted down, catching Sarah's attention. "Of course, maybe Sarah wasn't so clumsy, and she only got a little bit wet when she fell. Maybe she only bumped her stomach against one of the sinks. Painful, sure, but certainly not a reason to yell or scream, right?"

The person on her back twisted her wrist just a bit further, causing a sharp lance of pain to shoot up her arm. The threat was clear and Sarah nodded slightly.

The pressure eased off slightly and Victoria nodded. "Excellent. Nice to know that you have something resembling common sense after all, though I am curious to know why you elected to ignore the edict that Max was, until further notice, off-limits." She tilted her head to one side. "Care to explain?"

Sarah gulped. "I--" She hissed in pain when her wrist was twisted again.

"Never mind," Victoria said with a shake of her head. "I'm not interested in hearing your lame-ass excuses. All I want to hear from you is some 100%, genuine groveling. I want to hear you beg like the bitch you are to everyone in this room, who will then judge you on your sincerity. How many bones are in the human wrist, again?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Eight," Dana replied.

"Right," Victoria said with a nod. "That's one for each of us, with two spares. We'll save those for Max." She narrowed her gaze. "Sincere _and_ quiet. Otherwise, the only painting you'll be doing for the next six months will be with your feet."

The dread from earlier had blossomed into outright fear. There was no pity or remorse in Victoria's eyes, no sympathy. She was dead serious. And there wasn't a single thing Sarah could do about it. She swallowed, her mouth bone dry. "I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me. I'll apologize to Max later, I swear, I--"

"Ah-ah." Victoria lifted her finger, silencing Sarah. "No. You won't be approaching Max at all. Not to apologize, not to say anything, I don't even want you existing in the same air as her. You are going to remain 20 feet away from her at all times, minimum, until the end of the school year. Should you violate this edict, then I promise you, sometime, somewhen, you will suffer a very unfortunate yet completely plausible accident." Victoria leaned in close. "Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," Sarah stammered. She blinked as Victoria leaned back and waved her hand in her direction. "I'm so sorry. I was an idiot for not obeying your edict. It'll never happen again, I swear. Just, please, don't hurt me."

When she fell silent, Victoria simply stared at her for a long moment. "You like painting, Sarah?" she eventually asked.

Sarah nodded. "Yes..."

"And I take it you'd like to keep painting?"

Sarah nodded rapidly. "Yes, please!"

"Hmm. Funny, I'm not convinced you do." Victoria slowly stood. "Because that was some shit grovelling." She lifted her gaze and motioned towards whoever was on Sarah's back. "Go ahead and--"

"Please, Please PLEASE...!" Sarah whisper-shouted. "Don't do it I'm sorry don't hurt me please don't I'm so fucking sorry, I'm begging you it's all I have it's all I'm good at, I'll leave her alone forever I won't ever look at her again, I won't even say her name, just please don't please don't please..." Tears began to spill from Sarah's eyes as she stared up at Victoria, begging, imploring, beseeching, awaiting judgment.

There was a long, deadly silence in the bathroom as each of the girls contemplated the girl softly whimpering on the floor. Finally, Dana nodded. "I'm satisfied."

"Me too."

"Same."

"Yup."

Victoria stared at Sarah, making her suffer a moment longer, before finally nodding her head. "I agree." She flicked her gaze to Chloe, who held Sarah's arm in a vice-like grip. "You?"

"Yeah," came the low growl.

Still, Chloe failed to let go. It took a moment before Victoria realized they missed someone. "You know Max better than me," she stated. "Would she agree?"

After another moment, Chloe eased off the pressure. "Yes. She's a very forgiving person. Even if I don't think the person deserves it."

Victoria nodded. Having been forgiven by Max herself, she could believe it. "Excellent. Then our business is concluded." She pointed towards Sarah. "Twenty feet. That includes any Vortex Club activities, should Max actually deign to show up to one." She turned to the rest of the girls and nodded towards the door, eager to get out of here and be with Courtney.

Taylor led the way, ripping down the Out of Order sign she'd taped to the outside of bathroom door, balling it up and taking it with her. She grinned and gave Courtney, who was keeping watch, a thumbs up before hurrying towards the closest exit. The other girls went their own ways, each taking a different path out of the main building, with Victoria taking Courtney's hand as they left. Rachel, though, stayed behind, knowing her girlfriend had a bit more to say to Sarah.

Chloe waited for everyone to leave before finally letting Sarah up off the floor. When Sarah finally got her arms beneath her body and pushed herself upright, Chloe snarled and shot forward, hauling the blonde to her feet by her wet shirt, then slammed Sarah against the outer wall hard enough to rattle her skull. Chloe quickly shifted her grip and pressed her forearm against Sarah's windpipe, just hard enough to be uncomfortable. Then, pushed a smidgen more.

She locked gazes with the frightened girl, then leaned in close to her ear. "If you ever hurt her again," she whispered venomously, "I swear to whatever gods might exist that while your body may eventually be found, it will never be identified." Threat delivered, Chloe stepped back and turned away, not bothering to watch Sarah collapse on her ass.

Rachel and Chloe walked out of the bathroom together, taking the stairs to the first floor, and exiting the building from the closest exit. Once outside, Rachel took Chloe's hand in hers. "Hot damn, babe."

"Hmm?"

"What you told Sarah," Rachel clarified. "That was some scary shit. Even gave me the willies," she said with an exaggerated shudder.

"Yeah, _Babylon 5_ had some awesome quotes."

Rachel nodded automatically but when Chloe's words registered, she pulled her girlfriend to a stop. "Wait. That kick-ass and super intimidating threat you just delivered came from one of your old sci-fi shows?" she asked, incredulous. "Seriously?!"

The stern expression on Chloe's face finally broke as she grinned. "Damn straight. But, hey, it's cool. I doubt Miss Congeniality's seen it," she stated, jerking her thumb back towards Blackwell.

"Oh my..." Rachel couldn't even finish the thought as she threw back her head and laughed, the last bit of tension in her body simply evaporating. "You are such a nerd!"

Chloe reached down and scooped Rachel up into her arms, then continued to the dorms, carrying Rachel bridal style as the blonde continued to laugh. "I'm your nerd, though."

"Fuck yeah, you are," Rachel giggled, then leaned in to give Chloe a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, babe."

 "Ditto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max, thy name is _not_ whore. And now, you're starting remember that your friends love you deeply and only want the best for you. Maybe that realization came a bit late in this situation but perhaps next time, it'll come sooner.
> 
> Maybe the level of revenge against Sarah was a bit over-the-top. I'm not sure. But that's what my fingers dictated, so that's what we got. I had considered a couple of other approaches, one of which was Victoria dictating that Sarah was going to be Max's personal bitch the remainder of the year and another was Sarah getting ejected from the Vortex Club. However, no approach actually inflicted permanent harm to Sarah. Not that I'm squeamish against bloodshed but this situation didn't really call for it. I hope that the lack of a real beating doesn't disappoint.
> 
> The next big things coming up soon include Max's role being discovered and the girls revealing their interest in dating the shy hipster. But a word of caution: I'll be going on vacation from May 23 to 29 and as a result, I'll be without reliable or consistent internet/access to my stories. So the next chapter will likely be a bit delayed as well. Sorry about that!


	38. Scott, Brooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this chapter has taken so long! My vacation absolutely wrecked my momentum and, when I finally got back into things, I had a lot of trouble getting the flow to happen. I wrote a ton of stuff for various scenes but as good as they were separately, nothing meshed well as a cohesive whole. I wound up reworking several things quite a few times before a comment from loudlysilent inspired me to go in a completely different direction. That finally got things moving.
> 
> This is a bit of a long one so I hope you don't mind!
> 
> Oh, and if you want, hit me up on <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/> if you want to see the other weirdness I post.

Max and Kate were walking back to the dorms together after Photography, chatting about the class, everyone else's Decay photos, and their new assignment, when Max stopped suddenly. "Oh, wait, nearly forgot." She turned to Kate. "Is it okay if we swing by the mail room? My mom sent me a birthday package that came in Saturday but I totally spaced checking my mail that day."

"Certainly," Kate replied. The pair turned and headed back to the main campus building. "Do you think she sent you more cookies?"

"Probably," Max said with a smile. "I take it you remember my first week here, when I suddenly started sharing cookies with everyone who'd take them, including the teachers?"

"I do," Kate replied as they approached the side entrance closest to the mail room. "They were really tasty but there were so many!"

Max held the door open for Kate, who thanked her, then followed her inside. "When I called my mom and asked, she said she didn't mean to go nuts but she just couldn't help herself. It was her way of coping with the fact I was away from home."

"Aww," Kate said with a pout. "That's so sweet, yet kind of sad, too. I take it she's better now?"

"Oh yeah. Dad said she got over me being gone once she realized she could convert my room into a library." Max smiled at Kate's snort of amusement. "Mom assured me he was full of crap."

Kate giggled as they entered the small mail room at the end of the wing. "I'm glad your life didn't turn into a typical teen movie, though usually that sort of thing only happens when you go to college, not high school."

"Tell me about it," Max replied, then turned to the person a few feet behind the counter. "Hey, Lou."

The gentleman behind the counter turned around and broke out into a wide smile. "Why, if it isn't Kate and little Max," he began, his voice thick with the Bronx. "219 and 222, right?"

"Right as always."

"Eh, maybe not always but I do try." Lou turned and fished around the mail shelving unit to his right. "Nothing for Kate but it appears little Max has a package. I thought I saw that here, one sec." He bent down and looked to the small pile of packages resting on the floor beneath the shelves. "A-ha! Got it." He picked up a white cardboard box and slid it across the counter towards Max. "Here you go. You enjoy it, all right?"

Max smiled as she took the box. "Thanks a ton, Lou. Take care."

"Likewise, little Max."

Once the pair made their way back outside, Kate turned to Max. "You know, I've always wondered: why does Lou call you 'little Max' as opposed to just Max?"

"That's just how he refers to subs," Max explained. "Back when I asked him the same question, he apologized and said it was automatic for him since he has a fine-tuned radar for that sort of thing but he'd stop if it bothered me." Max shrugged. "It doesn't, though, so I never did. And I've gotten so used to it, it'd be weird if he stopped now."

"Gotcha," Kate said with a nod, then giggled. "I've heard of gaydar but I've never heard of subdar."

Max laughed out loud. "Subdar! I like it."

"Yo! Max!"

Kate and Max both turned at the voice, spotting Chloe approaching, Rachel in her arms. Max smiled and wiggled her fingers in lieu of waving. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

"Just wanted to spend some time with my girl," Chloe answered, then grinned when said girl gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What about you two?" she asked as she lowered Rachel back to her feet.

"We just got back from the mail room," Kate answered for the both of them. "Max finally got her mom's birthday package."

"Ooo!" Chloe's eyes went wide as she looked at the box in Max's hands. "Those the cookies?"

"Well, I don't know for sure that she baked cookies, but most likely."

"And I bet if there are cookies in there, she'd be way more willing to share if someone were to carry that big, heavy box around for her," Rachel stated with a sly wink directed towards Max.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Max started but was interrupted when Chloe simply took the box from her.

"Too late, Max Snacks," Chloe said with a grin. "These bad boys are mine, now!" And with that, she started power-walking towards the dorm.

Max turned to her two friends, grinned, then started after Chloe. "Get back here ya punk!" Max cried out, Kate and Rachel right behind. Chloe shot a look over her shoulder, laughed like a maniac, and took off running.

Once Chloe had been chased down to Max's room, and the giggling had stopped, the box was opened and the cookies revealed (along with a couple pairs of underwear and socks, which were acting as makeshift packing material). As before, they looked and smelled delicious. And as before, there were way too many for four people, let alone just Max. Still, the only thing that prevented them from trying to eat all of them right then and there was the supreme lack of milk. There was a solution for the Blackwell girls since dinner was approaching in less than an hour (cafeteria = milk cartons), but Chloe was stuck.

"Bad enough that Principal Wells barely tolerates my existence in the dorms," she complained, "but I know I'm not allowed in the cafeteria. Hell, I'm not actually allowed in the main campus building at all. I get away with it because the security guards sometimes turn a blind eye."

"Then, I have the perfect solution." Max withdrew one of the gallon-sized food storage bags from decorative the tin and handed it over. "Take this with you when you go home. Share them with Joyce and David. And if there's anything left, you can always bring them back."

"Dude!" Chloe grinned widely as she accepted the bag. "You sure? I'll eat a shitload of them, but these are yours."

"There's no way I'd ever get through half of them before they got stale," Max said with a shrug. "And I don't mind sharing. I was going to do that with the girls' dorm, anyway. This way, I know you'll get plenty."

"Just don't share so many that you don't get to enjoy them yourself," Rachel warned.

"I won't. Promise."

Rachel turned to Kate. "I'm counting on you to make sure she keeps her promise," she said with a grin, ignoring the indignant look on Max's face.

"Hey!"

"I promise that Max will keep her promise and have her fair share of cookies," Kate said, giving Max a bright smile.

"Fine, fine," Max conceded in mock defeat.

The four went their separate ways soon after. Rachel took Chloe back to her dorm to gather up her homework materials, then head over to Chloe's. She usually ate dinner with her girlfriend instead of the cafeteria for the reason Chloe mentioned. "But at least today, I have an awesome dessert," Chloe said, giving the bag of cookies a small shake.

Kate went to her dorm to give Alice some love and practice her violin until dinner time, Max agreeing to get her in about an hour so they could eat together. Now alone, Max, determined to use her time wisely, decided to practice her guitar but instead of her normal indie music, she tried her hand at sounding out some of the hymns she heard Kate play in the past. When that didn't work out too well (she couldn't recall the flow or cadence of some of them), she popped open the lid to her laptop and searched YouTube for "hymns on guitar" and listened to a several, favoriting a few for future study. She found she liked "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as it had a good combination of plucking and strumming, and might be good for experimentation.

Around 5:15, Max got Kate and together went to dinner, which wound up being a rather fun affair. Max shared her cookies with everyone who showed up at her table, which included Kate, Alyssa, Stella, Steph, Dana, and Juliet, all of whom agreed they were fantastic, and were appreciative of the fact that milk was close at hand. The one thing that stood out to Max, however, was how everyone decided to eat dinner with Max instead of drifting back to their normal tables. While she wasn't used to eating with so many people, having everyone around reminded her a bit of her birthday party, and left her with a case of the warm fuzzies.

Still, seeing Dana reminded Max of something important she had to do. So, once dinner was concluded and everyone started wandering back to the dorms, Max took a deep breath and screwed up her courage. "Hey, Dana?"

"Hmm?" Dana turned and faced the cute brunette. "What's up?"

Max shuffled but was able to maintain eye contact. "I wanted to, um, thank you. For being there for me in class today." She cleared her throat. "I know I wasn't very appreciative at the time but it really meant a lot. I was just in a bad place and couldn't respond well."

Like she had done in class, Dana rested her hand on Max's shoulder. "You're welcome. Always glad to help you." She tilted her head to one side as she quickly considered what to say next. She had to be careful not to let the Sarah thing slip out. "While I didn't know what was happening, I figured that you weren't ready to talk right then and there. I also won't ask now because you still might not be ready to talk about it, and that's okay. I was the same way after the whole Logan thing. But just know that whenever you're ready, I'll be here for you."

"Thank you," Max said with a soft smile. "And you're right, about me not being ready to talk this morning. Fortunately, Rachel ran into me around lunch and I was able to talk a bit then, which helped. And later, Miss Carter called me into her office and she cleared up all the confusion I was feeling." She gave Dana a happy shrug. "I'm feeling a whole lot better now."

"I bet those cookies helped," Dana said with a grin.

Max and Dana shared a laugh. "Oh, definitely. Did you want another one, by the way?"

Dana patted her stomach. "Not yet. But maybe later I'll stop in for a snack before bed."

"Okay." Max shuffled again. "But now, I was hoping to ask for a huge favor."

"Oh?"

"Do you think I could borrow your World History notes? I, um, kinda spaced the entire class and have no idea what was covered."

"I have a better idea," Dana said, then reached down and took a gentle hold of Max's hand. She started towards the dorms, giving Max's hand a soft squeeze. "Let's grab your notes and textbook, then hop over to my place. I take some pretty thorough notes so I can lecture you on practically the whole lesson, except I'm willing to bet I'm way more engaging than Mr. Lawson."

Max giggled at that. "I bet you're right."

In far less time than Max anticipated, Max and Dana were both putting the finishing touches on their World History homework. Max closed her textbook and gave Dana a wide smile. "Thanks so much for helping me. You were right: you're way more engaging than the teacher."

"Sometimes, that's what makes all the difference." Dana closed her textbook as well, then stood from the couch. "What else do you have lined up tonight?"

Max thought back. "I have to do my report for my interview with Kate and get another interview in as well. Those are probably the biggest things. Do my Photography homework since it's due tomorrow. What about you?"

Dana opened the second drawer of her dresser and started rummaging around. "Mainly my reading assignment, though I'm also expecting Kate and Juliet here a bit later for some tutoring." She turned, holding a coil of nylon rope and a set of safety scissors, and gave Max a smile. "Bondage 101. Apparently, Kate couldn't wait."

"Oh." Max could feel the heat creeping up her neck but couldn't turn away. Seeing Dana holding the rope in her hands was reminding her of the cover of Kate's bondage book. Which lead to Max recalling the images of the woman inside the book all tied up. Who was rapidly being replaced by a mental image of Dana in that same rope tie. She licked her lips as her eyes lost focus. "Um..."

Dana noticed Max's reaction and found it both adorable and enticing. But, baby steps. She took a seat on the floor next to Max and set the rope and scissors on the coffee table, then placed a gentle hand on Max's knee, drawing her attention. "I know I only asked yesterday and that might not be enough time to think about things, but did you want to sit in on the lesson? You wouldn't even have to participate or even take notes, if you didn't want to. But, like I said before, I don't mind if you wanted to watch. No pressure, though. Whatever you're comfortable with."

Max was surprised to find that she wanted to agree. Normally, she'd shy away from anything sex-related but with Dana being so incredibly thoughtful, Max was finding the idea nowhere near as scary as it'd normally be. "I... Um, not yet?" She turned away, uncertain if she was disappointing Dana by refusing. "Sorry."

"Hey, none of that." Dana gave Max's knee a slight squeeze. "No apologies. Like I said, whatever you're comfortable with. I know the whole concept can be overwhelming to the uninitiated and, maybe for kinky stuff, being around more than one person might be a bit much. If you need more time, or even if you never get comfortable enough to want to sit in, I don't mind and I absolutely won't hold that against you."

Max turned back to Dana and smiled, feeling the small knot of tension in her shoulders ease at her words. "Thanks." Without thinking, she placed a hand over Dana's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It won't be forever, though. I promise. It's just, I haven't really had time to process it yet."

Dana smiled, happy that Max was feeling comfortable enough with her to initiate physical contact. "Everything at your own pace. No rush."

"Thanks," Max repeated. "But can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

Max motioned towards the rope. "What's the blue tape on the ends for?"

"I have my pre-cut ropes color-coded depending on what they're for," Dana explained. "Blue is for wrist and arm use, red is for ankle and legs, yellow is for chest and harness use, and black is for the entire body. While not strictly necessary, color coding the ropes makes it way easier to find the length I need. The ropes all look the same otherwise."

"That's pretty smart," Max said with a nod, then pointed towards the scissors. "And I take it those are to cut the rope to the proper length?"

"They can be, but more importantly, those are to cut me or someone else free from most forms of bondage in case of an emergency. They're the same ones EMTs use these to quickly cut people free from their clothing or seat belts, if necessary."

"Whoa." Max glanced over to Dana. "Pretty serious equipment. Regular scissors wouldn't cut it, then?"

Dana didn't reply. Instead, she gave Max a huge, shit-eating grin. A couple of moments later, Max blinked and realized exactly what she said. "Oh, dog." She buried her face in her hands. "I swear I didn't mean it."

Dana laughed and gave Max's knee a couple of comforting pats. "I know you didn't. But still, I wouldn't've thought puns were your thing."

"They aren't," Max replied, her voice muffled. "They're usually a Chloe thing."

"Well, she's your friend, so it's likely she's rubbing off on you. But, to answer your question, no, you definitely wouldn't want to use regular scissors. For starters, most of the scissors you'd find in the store just aren't designed to cut through ropes or other tough materials." Dana reached over and took hold off the scissors, then handed them to Max. "These definitely will."

Max slid her fingers into the handles and worked the scissors open and closed. "The bottom blade is serrated," she noticed.

"That's what helps saw through those tough materials, like ropes, nylon straps, leather, stuff like that. Also, do you see how the blades are bent at an angle and shorter compared to scissors?"

"Yeah?"

Dana took hold of the rope and quickly looped it around her wrist. "Imagine you were holding a regular pair of scissors." She reached out her arm towards Max, palm up. "Now, pretend you were trying to work those super pointy tips beneath the ropes around my wrist."

Max took a careful hold of Dana's wrist with her left hand and pantomimed the motion Dana described with her right, then winced. "Ouch."

"Exactly. And that's if you're trying to take your time and go slow. Imagine instead that you were panicking because I was complaining that my circulation was getting cut off. You're in a hurry to cut me free and your grip is nowhere near steady."

"Oh shit." Max slowly withdrew her right hand, the one that was holding the safety scissors. "That's..."

Dana nodded. "The potential for serious injury is why these are used instead." She pointed towards the rope. "Now, cut me loose." When she saw Max hesitate, likely still imaging the horror scenario from a few moments ago, she went on to assuage her concerns. "You see how there's no pointy tip on these? And that little flat nub in the front?"

"Yes?"

"Both prevent the scissors from piercing or puncturing someone while the nub helps the scissors glide across the surface of the skin without catching." She gave Max a gentle smile. "Give it a try. I promise it's safe."

"O-okay." Max brought the scissors close to Dana's wrist and, working with extreme care, opened the scissors and gently worked the blade beneath the ropes. "Like that?"

"Exactly. Now, go for it."

Again, Max hesitated. "But, that'll ruin your rope."

Dana wave that aside. "I have plenty." She nodded behind her towards her bed. "I have probably 200 feet of unused nylon rope there in three different diameters ready for trimming. I definitely won't cry about cutting this one."

Max blinked. "That's a lot of rope?"

"That's a lot of bondage," Dana clarified with a smile.

"Fair point." Max adjusted her grip on the scissors and Dana's wrist, then carefully started cutting through the rope. Two squeezes later and she was through. "Wow. That was a lot easier than I expected."

Dana nodded. "Hence the reason these are a must-have for anyone wanting to practice bondage. Doesn't matter if it's rope, leather, tape, as long as it's not metal, these will slice right through it." She reached out for the scissors, which Max placed in her hand. "Juliet and I have been doing this for years and are really experienced, and we still make certain we have these on hand. You never know what might happen. Maybe a knot is resting on a nerve and your foot is starting to tingle. Maybe you accidentally used a slip knot and the circulation to your hand is starting to get cut off. Or perhaps you're in a strict hogtie and your parents suddenly show up several hours early and you really, _really_ need out."

Max couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips. "I can't wait to hear that story."

"A tale for another day," Dana replied, then placed the scissors and cut rope back on the table. She gave Max a warm smile. "Congrats: you've just taken your first lesson in Bondage 101."

Max smiled in response, feeling uncharacteristically proud. "I suppose I did, didn't I?"

"Yep," Dana grinned as she stood. "But don't worry: I'm not trying to sneak lessons on you or anything. It's just, even if you don't know anything else about bondage, knowing how to cut someone loose is extremely helpful. Think of it as first aid for kink."

"I appreciate you showing me, really," Max said as she stood as well. "I… This was cool. Learning about this with you. Not scary or intimidating at all."

Dana smiled. "I'm glad about that. But again, no pressure. You let me know when you're ready for more and we'll schedule a time, okay?"

"Okay. And thank you."

"You're welcome."

Leaning down to gather up her textbook and notes, Max spoke again. "I think I'll head over to my room, drop this off, figure out who to interview next."

"Who do you have left, anyway?"

"Right now, I'm down to Courtney, Brooke, Juliet, Stella, and Chloe. But, since I'm not ready to... um, interview Chloe or Juliet yet, that leaves Stella, Courtney, or Brooke."

Dana smirked a bit. "Worried that Juliet will grill you for juicy deets?"

"A little bit," Max admitted. "But also, she mentioned wanting to ask me about my take on everything, being a sub and new to everything, and I'm not quite ready to be interviewed myself."

"Totally get that. Oh, but hey, when you do talk to her and she starts asking too many questions, just give her The Look. Guarantee she'll back off."

"'The Look?'"

"Yeah, like this." Dana tilted her head slightly, arched an eyebrow, and gave Max The Look.

Who laughed. "Okay, that one. Got it. I think Rachel gives Chloe that same look from time to time. I'll have to practice."

Dana relaxed her stance and gave Max a grin. "Let me know if you want help with that, too. Trust me, being best friends with Jules means I've had plenty of time to perfect it."

"I believe it."

Knowing Max was about to leave for the night, Dana stepped forward to give deliver her customary kiss. But for the first time since she started doing this, Max closed her eyes and tilted her head a bit to one side, exposing the her left cheek to Dana. That one act nearly melted Dana on the spot. As it was, her kiss lingered, though it was still on the cheek. When she stepped back, she had to shove down her joyous reaction at the content smile on Max's flushed face. "Stop by if you need anything else, okay?"

"I will," Max said as she opened her eyes. "Have a good night."

"You, too."

Once Max left the room, Dana plopped down on the edge of her bed and counted to ten. Then, confident that Max was far enough away to not hear her, she buried her face in her hands and squealed in delight, kicking her feet excitedly. That was the first time Max had ever smiled like that after a kiss. She still blushed, sure (and how adorable was that!) but her reaction was new. And if Dana was right, it meant that Max was getting used to the affection, used to the idea of being kissed, and was even looking forward to it. Which, for someone as shy and unused to being touched as Max, was cause for celebration.

When Juliet and Kate entered her room several minutes later, they could tell immediately that something good must've happened since Dana normally wasn't found dancing on her bed to Barrie Gledden. Juliet grinned even as she made her way to Dana's stereo and turned the volume down a couple of notches. "Gonna share the news?"

"You know it, girl!" Dana smile was bright and full of joy as she dropped on her ass and bounced to a seated position on her bed. "But first, Kate, can you close the door?"

"Sure."

Juliet raised an eyebrow at the request. Whatever happened, Dana must want to keep it private. Which meant, no sharing with anyone else. For now, anyway.

Once her door was closed, Dana motioned her friends to join her on the bed. She couldn't help but clap excitedly as they got themselves comfortable. "You guys are gonna love this."

 

* * *

 

Max made her way back to her room and dropped her World History stuff on her bed. She then sat at her desk and took a moment to reflect. Studying with Dana had gone over so incredibly well, surprising her just a bit. She'd always studied alone in the past and, considering her introverted nature, always assumed that was the best for her. But yesterday and today both seemed to throw some doubt onto that assumption. Maybe some things were better solo and others better in a group? At the very least, listening to Dana was way easier than their history teacher and she definitely made things more engaging by asking Max questions throughout, making certain that she understood a point before going onto the next thing.

If only she could do the same for Algebra. Ugh.

Shaking her head, Max withdrew her D/S folder and notebook from her desk drawer and considered who to interview. After a brief moment, she opted to wait on interviewing Courtney. Max was really interested in hearing what Courtney had to say about being Victoria's sub and for two years, too. She must have a ton of insight on the lifestyle but because of what Victoria said, Max wanted extra time to think of good questions to ask, which meant more research on her part.

So, with the last two being Stella and Brooke, Max let laziness decide and chose Brooke as her room was closer than Stella's. She left her room, closing the door behind her, and walked to the end of the hall to Brooke's door, giving it a gentle knock.

"Just a sec!

Max heard some rustling, a quiet grunt, and the closing of a drawer. A couple of moments later, the door swung open, revealing Brooke.

Topless.

Wearing nipple clamps.

Max's eyes bugged out of her head even as Brooke "eeped!" and slapped an arm over her chest to cover her breasts.

This was a mistake.

"OW! Fuck!"

"I'm so sorry!" Max cried out as she whirled around, face bright red.

Brooke hissed in pain as she staggered to her bed. God, she was a dumbass! "No, it's not-- OW! Your fault," Brooke stated, unfastening one clamp and throwing it on the bed. "I was the one-- Shit!! Who opened the door without checking." She tossed the second one on the bed, then quickly threw on her sweatshirt. "I thought it was Warren since you knock like him."

"Still. That seemed like it really hurt." Max shifted from one foot to the other. "Want me to see if someone has some ointment or something?"

"No, it's fine. I'll live." Brooke winced and massaged her breasts through her sweatshirt, then realized that Max was still standing right outside her door. "Come in already. It's not like you haven't gotten an eyeful of my boobs before."

Max had actually forgotten about that, though it all came roaring back the moment Brooke answered the door. She peeked over her shoulder and, seeing Brooke was now covered, hesitantly stepped inside. "You were expecting Warren?"

"Yeah," Brooke replied as she reached a hand under her sweatshirt to gingerly cup her breasts, then winced again. "He said he'd be by later to help me try a few different toys and whatnot. I was going to surprise him by wearing the clamps early."

"Oh." Max stood in front of the couch, uncertain if she should stay. "Should I leave, then? Since you're expecting him soon?"

Brooke shook her head. "He actually said he'd be by closer to 9:00. When I heard your knock, I figured he was just really early." She gave a one-shoulder shrug as she massaged around her nipples. "Again, my fault. I wasn't thinking."

"Okay," Max said as she finally sat on Brooke's couch.

"So, what brings you around these parts, anyway?"

Max did her best to ignore the fact that Brooke had her hands up her own sweatshirt, touching her breasts. "Do you remember my D/S assignment? The one I mentioned at the party?"

"Yeah?" Then, Brooke blinked. "Oh, right! Your interviews. Yeah, I mentioned it to Warren, then we both talked to Kate. She gave us a few more details about it. If I didn't say so before, I think it's a really cool idea."

"Thanks," Max said with a nod. "And thanks for having Warren talk to Kate, too. I was able to get really good info for my report and didn't have to upset you by asking him directly. Or suffer an anxiety attack at the thought of talking to 'a Y-chromosome,'" she said, using air quotes.

Brooke grinned. "Glad it was helpful for you."

"It really was. But now, I was wondering if I could do a full interview with you?"

"Yeah, sure," Brooke replied as she withdrew her hand from beneath her sweatshirt. "Not sure what info I can provide, though."

"Just about anything is better than what I started with, which was practically nothing." Max opened her notebook to a blank page. "How would you define your role of 'Brat?'"

"I'd say, pretty much like it sounds. Unlike some others I've read about, my role isn't special or unique and doesn't really have any surprises. Think of the textbook definition of a brat and you pretty much have me."

"Okay. And how long have you known you were a Brat?"

"Hmm." Brooke placed her hands on the edge of her bed and boosted herself back a few inches. "I'd say probably all my life."

Max blinked at that. "Isn't that... odd? I didn't think people discovered their roles until around puberty."

"That might be true for others but not me. I've been a bratty pain-in-the-ass for most of my life. Drove my mom nuts, let me tell you."

Max jotted down a couple of notes. "Is she a Domme, then? Kept you in line?"

"Well, she may have kept me in line, but not because she's a Domme. She's actually a Brat, too. She doesn't take shit from anyone, me included."

"Gotcha." Max wrote that down. "And your dad? Since Juliet said that it's perfectly fine for two subs or Doms to hook up, I don't want to assume his role."

"He was a Dom, though I don't remember what he was, exactly. He died when I was really little."

"Oh." Max bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks," Brooke said with a slight nod. "He was in the Army but he didn't die in combat or anything. Mom says it was a drunk driver. She wound up raising me by herself and provided all the discipline I could need through pure Korean stubbornness." She grinned when Max snickered.

"Do you think it was tough, a Brat raising a Brat?"

"Maybe it could've been but, even as bratty as I was at times, I never forgot my mom loved me a lot. Even if we argued from time to time, we always supported each other."

"That's awesome to hear." Max tapped the pen against her notebook a couple of times. "When Kate and I were talking, she mentioned that Daddies are a good match for Brats because they provide discipline, and Brats recognize that discipline as a form of caring and affection. Would you say that's accurate?"

"Hmm." Brooke tilted her head to one side and kicked her legs for a moment. "That sounds a bit like it came from a textbook but I'd have to say yes. Though when Warren and I first started hooking up, it wasn't as easy as that."

"Because he thought he was a Mother and was, I dunno, using the wrong moves on you?"

Brooke snorted. "The way you said that makes me think of him trying to use the Konami code on me and failing."

It took Max a second to get the reference. "Oh, damn!" she said with a laugh. "Talk about a trip down memory lane!"

"You an old-school gamer, then?"

"Not really. I mean, Chloe had an old Nintendo back in the day and we'd play a lot, but I was notoriously bad at them. You saw me at the birthday party. That code was the only way I was ever able to get to the second stage in _Contra_."

"N00b," Brooke replied with a smirk. "But yeah, getting back to your question, I suppose that's one way of looking at things. We started hanging out because he was into a lot of the stuff I was: video games, sci-fi, weird tech, stuff like that. We started dating because I thought he was hot and interesting and fun, and he thought the same about me. But whenever we tried hooking up, things didn't click. At least at first. When he changed courses and explained everything to me, I knew, just knew, that we could finally get serious but that things might be a bit slow. But since I'm not exactly patient, I've been kinda poking and prodding him ever since."

Max blinked in realization. "Like when you dragged him back to your room Saturday?"

Brooke grinned. "Exactly. I was being a complete Brat on purpose and, even though it took a minute for him to engage, I was punished quite thoroughly." She leaned back and sighed. "God, he was great. The edging, the spanking, the orgasm. We'd had sex before but damn." She very obviously squeezed her thighs together. "He was a beast of a man. Full-on Daddy."

"...wowsers." Max could feel her face heating up. While it wasn't the first time people had mentioned sex around her, it never stopped making her feel... embarrassed? She wasn't sure it was the right word. "And, um, did you have to use a safeword? Or anything like that?"

"Safeword?" Brooke blinked at the question, before suddenly remembering that Max was still interviewing her. "Oh! Right. Um." She tilted her head to the side as a thought occurred to her. "Huh. I don't think we've ever talked about establishing one, now that I think about it. Warren's never pushed me beyond my limits before so it's never come up."

"Well, you probably never needed one," Max stated. "When I interviewed Victoria, she mentioned that not every sexual encounter is a scene or requires negotiation. But if it's going to be more involved, or your first time, or something more intense, then it'll be helpful to negotiate things and have safewords in place."

Brooke considered that as she picked up one of the discarded nipple clamps on the bed. "That's a really good point. This won't be our first time with sex, obviously, and we've had plenty of practice with discipline, but a lot of the toys will be new. And who knows how intense that'll get." She turned the clamp over in her hand, then gave Max a smile. "Thanks for reminding me. I should've remembered that from the class I just graduated from but I guess I was too focused on the new and shiny things and not the fundamentals."

"And what class is that?"

"Toys and Safety, conveniently enough. I've always had a fascination all sorts of sex toys, like vibrators, clamps, vibes, butt plugs, all that stuff, but never had an opportunity to use them before. Or someone to experiment with. So when I got to Blackwell, I signed right up. I'm going to be taking the Advanced Toys course next, learn about sybians and other fucking machines. I'm hoping to construct my own in the future."

Max had no idea what a sybian was but "fucking machine" was pretty much self-explanatory. She ducked her head to hide her now-flaming face and jotted down a couple more notes. "Do--" Max coughed and cleared her throat. "Sorry. Um, are toys a Brat thing or is your interest a Brooke thing?"

"Say what now?"

"Um." Max shifted again, then raised her head. "When I was interviewing Kate, I made the incorrect assumption that roles dictated kink and vice versa. She said they don't, though there can be correlation. So, I was wondering if your like of toys is a reflection of your Brat role or if that's purely you."

"Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense. And it's a me thing for sure." Brooke furrowed her brow in thought. "Thinking about the correlation thing, though, is interesting. Brats, obviously, crave discipline but the form that discipline comes in varies from Brat to Brat. And the disciplining a Daddy does varies as well. I'll take scoldings and sternly spoken words, though no yelling, and I love a good spanking. But since I'm not a Pain Slut, canings, beatings, and whippings are definitely out. That'd be way too much for me."

Max wrote a few more notes then looked at Brooke, confusion on her face. "This is going to sound so dumb, and I apologize, but to clarify, there's good pain and bad pain?"

"For me, yes. But it's all super subjective. For example, I like spankings but nothing hard enough to bruise or welt. I just enjoy the dichotomy of pain mixed with pleasure, the sting of a slap followed by the caress of Warren's tongue. Hence, the reason I'm interesting in the clamps. I want to see if that constant low-key ache is something I'd be into or what it's like to have Warren tug on them in the middle of some hot sex.

"Some people can't stand the thought of being spanked but likes a good, hard fucking, the kind where you'll be sore the next day but felt so good while it was happening. And then there are those who get off on pain alone." Brooke shook her head. "No thanks. To each her own but there's no way on God's Green Earth that I'm handing Warren a cane and asking him to beat me to an orgasm."

Max gave a shudder. "I'm with you on that. I may not have any real idea what I like or want to try but some things are a definite no-no."

"Like watersports, right?" Brooke laughed when Max gagged loudly. "I wouldn't worry about it. You'll figure it out eventually. And if you have a partner to try things with, you'll probably figure it out much faster. It'll be a lot more fun, too. Like these puppies," Brooke said as she opened and closed the clamp with her fingers a couple of times. "But word of advice: don't rush things or push your partner too much, too fast. That'll just cause problems."

"Hmm." Max jotted that advice down and looked back up. "I take it there's a story there but if you don't want to share, that's okay."

"I don't mind talking about it, but yeah. I screwed up." Brooke sighed heavily and turned away. "I'm a Brat and kind of impatient, like I said earlier. I push Warren sometimes and it's okay. Now, anyway. But when we first started getting hooking up, I pushed way too hard." She turned back to Max and gave her a rueful kind of shrug. "I kinda forgot that our relationship involved two people, not just me. Warren wanted to take things slower and I couldn't understand why. We got into a bit of an argument one night. And, typical for me, I didn't learn anything. My solution was to try pushing even harder the next day, but then, I saw him with you." She waved her hand before Max could say anything. "Not _with you_ with you, just hanging out like what friends do. But, as you can imagine, I didn't see it that way. Instead, I got ragingly jealous, thinking he was going to ditch me for you, someone who looked like she'd take thing as slow as he wanted.

"That night, pissed and scared I was going to lose him, I came up with a perfect plan: I was going to win him back quickly by taking things slow." She smirked at Max's expression. "Trust me, I know how ridiculous that sounds. Even I thought so after we got done talking. But, that's exactly what we did. Just talk. About what I wanted vs. what he wanted. I apologized for trying to push things too fast. I was just too eager to do everything all at once. He accepted my apology and said he understood where I was coming from because he was just as eager. Turns out, he was holding himself back quite a bit. But he had a really good reason, besides common sense, for not wanting to rush forward."

"And what was that?"

"His parents. They rushed into marriage super young and had a really rocky relationship as a result. He said he didn't want a repeat of that."

Max nodded. "That makes sense."

"So, yeah, once he explained it that way, not that it should've been needed if my dumb ass had tried listening first instead of rushing in, I finally backed off, took things slower. And it worked. Partly because he's also met me halfway with a lot of things, but mostly because slowing down has really helped us connect on a deeper level." Brooke blinked. "Oh, Christ, did I really just say that? 'Connect on a deeper level' like some Buzzfeed quiz?" Brooke took off her glasses and dragged her hand down her face. "Ugh."

Max grinned at Brooke's consternation. "I think it's awesome. That you and Warren not only hit it off so well at the beginning of the year, but you've been working so hard on making your relationship work ever since. As girlfriend/boyfriend and as a Dom/sub unit. I know from listening to Chloe and Rachel that all relationships take work and compromise, and plenty of patience to understand each others' quirks. To know where the hard lines are drawn and what's more negotiable. It might be tough at times, and there might be arguments, but all that hard work pays off with a much stronger connection to each other." She shrugged. "I'm just glad I didn't interfere any worse than I did."

"You didn't interfere at all," Brooke admitted. "If I had just talked to Warren earlier, if I had actually seen what was really going on instead of what the green-eyed monster was showing me, none of our petty bullshit wouldn't have happened."

"Well, we were young and dumb. And no one was hurt, so we should do our best to let bygones be bygones."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "It was literally two days ago."

"And now we're two days older and wiser," Max stated with a sagely nod.

Brooke snorted but couldn't help the grin. "Fine. You win."

Max smiled and looked back at her notes, then added a few more things. She wondered if she should ask more about toys and their usage for her report but decided to research some of that on her own. It might be a bit embarrassing in private but she didn't think she could handle any of Brooke's potentially graphic details. She was definitely more casual about sex than Max would ever be. She pulled out her chart, marked Y for Brooke, then noticed one specific empty box. "Um, Brooke?"

"What's up?"

Max hesitated only briefly. "As far as sexual orientation is concerned, I should list you as straight, right?"

Brooke opened her mouth to answer, then paused. Then got irritated with herself for pausing. The answer was pretty damn obvious, right? Straight. Definitely. Absolutely. She licked her lips and took a deep breath to tell Max exactly that. "I don't know."

GODDAMN IT! That's not what she meant to say! But much to her surprise, Max didn't even blink. Instead, she nodded and wrote down a question mark on a chart. Really? That was it? Curiosity wedged itself into her head and she cleared her throat. "Are you really okay with that as an answer?"

"Of course." Max lifted her gaze. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just really vague. And I expected you to grill me about it, maybe ask if your kiss turned me gay or something."

Max shook her head. "I would never grill anyone on anything they weren't comfortable with talking about. And I know you can't 'catch the gay.' I may not know a lot but even I'm aware that it doesn't work that way. Plus, do you remember my answer when you asked me if I was gay?"

Brooke thought back. "Yeah. Something about still finding guys cute but not able to picture yourself dating one."

"Exactly." Max shifted in place as she wondered, briefly, if she should share this about herself but figured if it could help Brooke with her own confusion, then it'd be okay. "Before I came to Blackwell, I was seriously confused about my own sexuality. I thought some of the skater boys were cute. But after a while, I started finding some of the goth girls cute, too. But because I'm me, I never tried hanging out with either group or tried dating or anything else to figure things out. And there wasn't anyone I could talk about it with, either." Not like she ever would, but that's besides the point.

"After spending time here, I found myself leaning more and more towards the girl side of things, and yet, I still find some guys cute." Max shrugged. "I don't know if that means I'm actually bi-sexual or mostly gay with a side of dude, or just a confused baby gay, or whatever the internet wants to categorize me as." When she saw Brooke blink in confusion, Max explained. "I do a lot of research after any interview, to help me understand what I was told. 'Baby gay' is something I found earlier and is supposed to denote a freshly-out gay person who's completely inexperienced. Age doesn't matter."

"Oh. Okay."

"But what my D/S assignment has helped me understand is that nothing is really black and white. There are tons of shades of gray. So me finding some boys cute but not ever wanting to be in a serious relationship with one is perfectly okay." Max tapped the chart in her lap. "That also applies to you. Maybe you considered yourself 100% straight for your entire life but now might be wondering if you're really just 99%, and that's okay. Like Juliet said, no reason to break out the Pride shirts. Just know that however you decide to label yourself, you'll always be you."

"Huh." That was some damn good advice, especially from someone who was admittedly really new at all this stuff. And supposedly super shy. Max didn't seem that way now, though. Maybe doing this assignment helps with confidence, too? But hearing Max explain it that way made Brooke wonder why she hadn't figured this out on her own already. It's not like she hadn't heard something similar before. Didn't Warren say he had no idea if he was bi or not but was willing to experiment and find out? Maybe Brooke could as well. But how...?

A moment later, she had an idea. But first, the set-up. "Any other questions?"

Max, oblivious to Brooke's machinations, checked her chart and notes, then shook her head. "I have enough for now, though I might follow up with you later for more toy info, if that's okay?"

"Sure thing," Brooke said with a nod. "And let me know if you ever want to try some clamps. I can give you some pointers, like how not to slap yourself across the tits when wearing them."

Max gave a slight wince. "I seriously hope you're okay."

"Eh." Brooke shrugged. "I'll have Warren kiss them to make it better. But, speaking of kissing, I just had a thought: have you gotten all your birthday kisses yet? You know, your 18 plus 1 for good luck?"

Max blinked. "Good question. Give me a minute." She referred to her chart, made several tick marks in her notebook, and came up with 12. She was about to answer when she recalled all the kisses on the cheek from Dana she'd received as well. Did those count? Hmm. Better safe than sorry. Max made a few more tick marks, did some math, then looked up. "I think I have one left?"

"The one for luck, then?"

"Yeah. Math is so not my strong suit and maybe I'm forgetting one somewhere but I'm pretty sure that's right."

Perfect. Brooke slid from the bed and stood, which prompted Max to do the same. "Any more interviews tonight?"

Max shook her head. "I only try for one a day. Otherwise, it'd be too much for me to handle. I'm going to focus on doing my write-up for Kate's interview now, then do yours tomorrow morning before class."

"Got it." Brooke took a couple of steps towards her door, watching as Max did the same, then stopped. "Oh, by the way?"

"Hmm?" Max stopped as well and turned to face Brooke. "What's up?"

The next thing Max knew, Brooke was right there, hooking her hands behind her neck, just like at the party. Brooke gazed at Max, looked at her lips, then back to her eyes. She licked her lips, making her intentions screamingly obvious, even to Max, which was her intent. Brooke wanted to give Max ample opportunity to pull away if she didn't want this. When she didn't, Brooke tugged Max down gently, rising on her tiptoes once more, then proceeded to give Max her final birthday kiss.

Max found herself enjoying the surprise kiss quite a bit, though she couldn't help but compare this one to the kiss Brooke gave on her birthday. This one wasn't as forceful for one thing. Instead, it was gentle, more tentative, like Brooke was testing the waters rather than trying to deliver several different kisses all at once. Max, uncertain what to do with her hands, clutched her notebook and folder that much tighter, then lost herself in the sensations. Dog, this was so wonderful.

Eventually, Brooke eased back slightly, opting not to go full tongue this time, and placed several lighter kisses on Max's lips, then slowly broke away. Unlike what happened Saturday, she didn't feel weirded out or scared or confused. It was, she was almost surprised to find, a great kiss. "There you go. For luck."

Max's eyes fluttered open to see Brooke standing close, but not too close. She was giving Max a much warmer smile than ever before. Max felt herself blush. "Um. Thank you...?"

"Just had to know for sure." Brooke stepped back and pointed at the notebook in Max's hands. "Feel free to change me from unknown to 90% straight." She gave Max a broad smile. "While I think I could really enjoy kissing girls, especially you, I can safely say I enjoy kissing Warren way more."

"I..." Max felt herself smile as well. "Okay." She shuffled in place and cleared her throat. "Well, I guess I'll be going then."

"Have a good night, Max."

"Same."

Max slowly made her way back to her room, then sat on her couch. She put her D/S stuff to one side and raised her fingers to her lips, replaying Brooke's gentle kiss. Her last birthday kiss. Max smiled. It was an incredibly sweet gesture and from Brooke of all people! Max supposed that meant that the hatchet had well and truly been buried between them.

When she withdrew the chart to update Brooke's orientation, she stopped. Recalled exactly what Brooke said to her. Blinked. "I was used," Max whispered in realization. After a long moment, she snorted out a laugh. "I was used. Dog, Brooke…"

Max shook her head and scratched out the question mark next to Brooke's name, and wrote "90%" instead. Then, she started reviewing her notes from Kate's interview. It was well past the afternoon but she was determined to get the report done before the night was through.

 

* * *

 

Miss Carter was relaxing on her living room couch, a nature documentary playing on her TV, when she received a new e-mail notification. She hoped it was her friend and colleague, Helena. Miss Carter asked for her help Sunday afternoon since she was striking out on finding Max's role and hoped her friend could offer some fresh insight or leads. She leaned forward and placed her glass of wine on the coffee table, then clicked on her e-mail client.

She was pleasantly surprised to see the message was actually from Max. Miss Carter smiled. It might be later than usual for her but, truly, Miss Carter didn't mind. The fact that Max submitted a report today at all was a reflection of how dedicated she was to the assignment, which was yet another positive sign that it was working as intended. She clicked the e-mail, expecting a short apology along with an attachment, and wasn't disappointed.

> Dear Miss Carter,
> 
> I'm so sorry I didn't get this done soon than now! I let myself get distracted this afternoon by a care package my mom sent, then completely forgot until after I did another interview. _That_ report will be done tomorrow morning, like usual, but attached is the one from yesterday.
> 
> Have a great evening (or morning, if you don't get this until tomorrow)!
> 
> Max Caulfield  
>  n00b-sub extraordinaire

Miss Carter continued to smile as she opened the attachment. Max was an utterly delightful student and person, and while she wasn't the only sub she was helping, she was one of the most earnest in her desire to learn and grow. Time to find out who she interviewed yesterday.

> Kate Marsh. Domme. I've been looking forward to interviewing her ever since we spoke in depth last Friday about her past. I promised I wouldn't share the details here but in short, Kate had problems uncovering her aspect. She believed for years she was a sub when in truth, she was a Domme. She explained how she overcame that difficult time but during this interview, she went into more detail.
> 
> Not only was Kate struggling to understand what kind of Domme she was, never mind trying to unlearn all of her previous sub teachings, but at the same time, she was also dealing with her sexual orientation. She said that wrestling with both simultaneously was incredibly stressful, leading to some serious health issues such as migraines, insomnia, and depression, but once she was through it and accepted all parts of herself, it made a lot of other things in her life so much easier to handle. It was inspiring to hear and gives me hope that, should I find my role, it might also make things easier, too.
> 
> Kate said that she is a Mother, a Domme who is nurturing, protective, and comforting. Which fits her so beautifully, too, especially when I think back on how great she's been with me lately. Not that everyone else wasn't also incredibly sweet and kind and awesome but Kate was the one who was with me at my lowest, when I had that nightmare of everyone saying how much they hated me, how I deserved to die. She took care of me, comforted me, held me as I cried, made certain I got actual rest, just did everything humanly possible for me.
> 
> If it wasn't for her calling herself a Mother, I'd swear her role was Angel!
> 
> When I first heard the term Mother, though, I thought it was just a female name for a Daddy, something I'd heard mentioned once before. How wrong I was! Both show their love and affection to their subs way differently from one another: Mothers nurture; Daddies discipline. Kate also explained that roles aren't gender-based, so girls can be Daddies and boys could be Mothers, something that never really occurred to me before. She then talked a bit about Warren's past (with permission!) and his change in Dom courses here, and how Brooke wasn't responding well to him until after he started taking his new Dom courses. But I'll get into more detail about that when I do Brooke's write up tomorrow morning.
> 
> Another thing that Kate explained is there really aren't "best matches" when it comes to which roles fit together. It's all really subjective. Like, there are some roles that gravitate towards one another, like Brats to Daddies, and Slaves to Owners, but there's no hard and fast rule about it. I did some research on it and, after banishing all the mental images from my head, I found it to be completely true. The potential dynamics between Domme and sub are way more in depth than I ever anticipated!
> 
> One thing I asked is why have roles if everything is so subjective? Kate explained they're helpful to have, especially to the uninitiated (like me!). How it's useful to have a role to start with and, as time goes on, finetune the training in that role, making adjustments as needed, which includes finding a new role that's a better fit. What she said is similar, to me, to what Rachel told me all the way back in my first interview: that even if I'm the only one who can decide on what I am, I need a foundation to start with. Rachel compared finding a role to becoming a doctor: I might be the only one to decide if I want to be a neurologist instead of an endocrinologist but I still need to take the core courses to begin with.
> 
> What I found so intriguing about this is it came from two different Dommes, one who doesn't quite know what her role is, and one who does. Somehow, hearing that from them, hearing about Steph's own struggles, about Warren changing classes, all of it made me feel more accepting about me not finding my role. Not comfortable with it, just more accepting.
> 
> Previously, when I was doing research, I made the mistake of assuming that roles dictated kink and vice versa. But Kate explained that, though there might be correlation, roles don't dictate anything of the sort and that interest in kink is a very individual choice, based solely on the question "Does this turn me on?" I'll be honest, I had hoped that wasn't the case. I know I don't seem to have any kinky interests of my own, not counting negative interest in some kinks that are absolutely, 100%, never ever going to happen. But the idea that I had was, if Role X always has interest in Kink Y, then maybe I could narrow my role in a weird process of elimination sort of deal. Sadly, that's out. So, back to the drawing board.
> 
> I know roles aren't the end all, be all of existence. Rachel doesn't have one and Taylor said she's still figuring hers out. And not having one isn't as scary a proposition as it once was. It's just, I was hoping to be something. I'm going to do better about not letting it bother me, though. After all, I know my friends won't care, so I shouldn't either, right?

Miss Carter sighed softly as she closed the attached report. She'd print it off and file it with Max's other reports tomorrow morning. But for now, she felt a profound sense of disappointment in herself that she had yet to uncover Max's role. While she knew it wasn't the end of the world, just as Max said in her report, Miss Carter also understood that finally having one would be a huge boost of confidence to her. Hence, the reason she asked for Helena's help. She was a psychologist and sex therapist so there was a good chance she had insight on rarer roles than Miss Carter could locate.

Setting her laptop to the side, Miss Carter was reaching for her glass of wine when she heard the ping of another e-mail. Taking a look, she saw it was from Helena, then hurried to open the message.

> Hey Lynda!
> 
> Sorry it took me a while to find this. It wasn't in the magazine I originally thought it was, meaning I had to dig way deeper into my collection than I anticipated. I'd probably have found it sooner if Cass hadn't also gotten into the stockpile for a school project and forgot to re-organize them. Too bad I can't remember stuff as good as you! But I think you'll find the article an interesting read as it meets your criteria to a T. I've scanned it as best I could and attached it as a .pdf, but let me know if the copy isn't clear enough and I'll try again tomorrow.
> 
> Hugs and kisses!  
>  Helena & Cassie

Miss Carter smiled at the affectionate valediction. It had been nearly six months since she last saw Helena and Cass in person, which was six months too long. She made a mental note to rectify that as soon as possible. But right now, she had an article to read.

A few minutes later, having committed the article to memory, Miss Carter closed her laptop, a broad smile on her face. She reached over and polished off her wine, then poured herself another half-glass, raising it in the general direction of her friend.

She found it. She found Max's role.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm not too much of an asshole for leaving things on a cliffhanger like this. ;-)
> 
> The cookie scene was originally much longer than what's here but I opted to cut it for length and because it wasn't actually adding much to the scene as a whole. I might post that portion of the WIP onto my Tumblr page later.
> 
> Dana giving Max a makeshift lesson with the safety scissors just kind of happened but I'm glad it did. The motto I see online a lot when researching BDSM is "safe, sane, and consensual," and while I might toy with the sane part of that statement, safe and consensual will always be emphasized.
> 
> I had a lot of fun with Brooke. As her ethnicity's never been established in canon, I opted to make her half-Korean, half-whatever (probably Caucasian) as well as a [military brat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_brat_\(U.S._subculture\)), a term that isn't actually insulting, believe it or not. It was amusing as hell to me, though, because I made Brooke a Brat long before making her a military brat. Having her be into toys and stuff like that hearkens back to a completely-left-on-the-cutting-room-floor scene that will no longer happen in the fic. I might post that to my Tumblr page as well but let's just say it had to Max, Brooke, and Warren, running into each other at lunch on Tuesday, the day where all the recent D/S graduates will be strutting their new stuff.
> 
> I'm hoping there won't be nearly as long a gap between this chapter and the next and to help prevent that from happening, I'll be starting on chapter 39 right away.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and commenting! Coming up next: Max's role is revealed.


	39. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super sorry this chapter has taken so long! The reasons for the delay are in the end notes. But, until then, please enjoy!

Tuesday morning found Max up early and in the showers, scrubbing herself clean, and using up the last of the depilatory cream from her old tube. She'd noticed last week she was sporting was way less hair growth than usual for her, and today, there was even less than that, which she supposed was a good thing. Once she had dried off and returned to her room, she set her alarm for 9:45 AM, which was becoming a new habit for her. Better safe than sorry, after all. She was more than aware that today marked the one-week anniversary of her "incident" as Kate called it and had no desire to make a repeat performance.

After she finished applying her lotion, Max sat on the edge of her desk chair, ready to get cracking on Brooke's report. But when she opened the lid on her laptop, she noticed she had a new e-mail. Curious as to who might be sending her something this early in the morning, relatively speaking, she opened it and began to read.

> Good morning, Max!
> 
> I recall you saying that you were going to work on Brooke's report this morning so I'm hoping you'll receive this first thing.
> 
> I would like to schedule our first follow-up appointment this afternoon, around 4:10 PM, to discuss your D/S assignment in greater detail, what you've learned so far, and where you're headed next. If this is a good time, simply reply to this message and I'll expect you then. If not, stop by my office between classes any time today and we'll work out a better date.
> 
> You've been doing so well with your assignment so far. I wanted to let you know just how proud I am of you and how much I'm looking forward to reading your next report.
> 
> Lynda Carter, PhD  
>  Head Disciplinarian

Max could feel her face slowly turn red. To see that Miss Carter, guidance counselor for likely dozens of students, head disciplinarian of Blackwell, and one powerful Domme, was actually proud of her? It damn-near boggled the mind. But, she couldn't deny the incredibly warm feeling that settled in her chest after reading those words. In fact, she reread that sentence a couple of times, just to make certain it wasn't an optical illusion before it occurred to her she needed to respond.

She quickly typed out a response.

> Dear Miss Carter,
> 
> This afternoon is completely fine! I'll be there right after Media Lit.
> 
> Thank you so much for helping me. I'll bring cookies!
> 
> Max Caulfield  
>  n00b-sub

The moment she clicked "Send," Max stopped and realized exactly what she typed. "I'll bring cookies"? Seriously?! She turned a darker shade of red but this time, for completely different reasons. Dog, what kind of dumbass was she to type something like--?

Before her thoughts could spiral down any further, she received another e-mail from Miss Carter. She hesitated, swallowed her trepidation, and opened the message.

> Max,
> 
> I look forward to both the meeting and the cookies.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Lynda Carter, PhD  
>  Head Disciplinarian

Max heaved a huge sigh of relief. She wasn't a complete disaster. Well, okay, maybe she was, but at least Miss Carter was super-nice about it. Shaking her head, Max reached for her D/S notebook, opened it to Brooke's page, then started on her report.

> Brooke Scott. Sub. Former enemy turned possible ally. Or maybe friend? I'm actually not too sure, now that I think about it. But, she did kiss me, so maybe?
> 
> But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Brooke stated she's a Brat, and when I asked her to define her role, she said just think of the textbook definition of brat and that's what she is. Unlike some, her role has no surprises or anything, something I found almost… refreshing? For some reason, it's comforting to know that sometimes, things really are exactly as they appear. Almost like Kate's role of Mother, though I did need clarification between that and Daddy.
> 
> Interestingly enough, Brooke says she's known she was a Brat practically all her life. I was under the impression that people didn't discover their roles until around puberty but when I did some research on it, I found that Brooke isn't alone in knowing so early. It's just that a lot of roles are trickier to nail down until around puberty, when people start thinking about their sexuality and kinky interests, and they can use that interest to better measure/gauge their role. It isn't an exact science, though, as Warren, Kate, and myself can attest, but it does make sense. I wonder if Victoria also knew her role way early? I suppose if I do any follow-up interviews, I already have one question ready to go!
> 
> Brooke did confirm something that Kate said, that Brats need discipline and recognize that discipline as a form of caring and affection. She also said that she and Warren didn't seem to click when they started hooking up, though the way she phrased things, I'm thinking that dating and hanging out as a couple were fine? It didn't occur to me to ask clarifying questions at the time. Sorry!
> 
> She also reiterated something else Kate said: the level of discipline a Brat needs varies from person to person. For Brooke, sternly spoken words is fine but not actually getting yelled at. She also likes spankings but nothing hard enough to bruise or welt. When I asked, she explained that for her, there is good pain and bad pain, but that varies wildly between people, too. She stated quite firmly that she's not a Pain Slut and, therefore, isn't interested in, nor would ever want, hard beatings or whippings.
> 
> Like I've been doing for all my reports, I looked up what a Pain Slut is and all I can say is OUCH. Definitely not me. And while I still don't seem to have any kinky interests of my own, independent of others, this makes probably the third or fourth thing I can definitely say is absolutely not my thing.
> 
> Brooke advised me that when I start exploring my own wants or interests, to not be pushy or too impatient with my (still very hypothetical) partner. While I doubt I ever would or could, she explained that when they first started hooking up, she made the mistake of pushing Warren too hard. But later, when she and he sat down and really talked about things, and finally understood why Warren wanted to take things slower, they both reached a compromise and things have been great ever since.
> 
> Nice to see that communication does work!
> 
> Oh, and I got to be useful for once! At one point, Brooke mentioned a really steamy session with Warren (cue my blush) and I asked if she had to use a safeword. She said she didn't but thanked me for reminding her about them since they plan on experimenting with toys, like nipple clamps, really soon and might need one for the first time. It gave me a good feeling to know that I helped, even just a bit, thanks to everything I've learned so far.
> 
> At the end of the interview, Brooke gave me my last birthday kiss. The plus 1 for good luck one. Which also helped her figure herself out as far as orientation goes, going from unknown to 90% straight. Afterwards, when I thought about what happened, I was tickled pink that I wound up being Brooke's "experimental phase" in a way. When I researched _that_ online, I read quite a few stories and anecdotes where things went well and didn't end so well. I think I can safely say that Brooke's went well!
> 
> As you can imagine, I ran into sex toys during previous online researches but I opted to do a bit more digging last night. Again, I encountered that weird thing where nothing seemed to strike my fancy on its own, but if I thought about/fantasized about using them, or having them used on me, with specific people, then everything seemed enticing. Since none of my other searches found anything about that continued oddity, I'm just going to accept that this is just normal for me, though I don't know what, if anything, it means.
> 
> One more down, four more to go! I'm actually really excited to see this assignment to its conclusion and can't wait to hear what Courtney, Juliet, Stella, and Chloe have to say.

Max saved the document and, just as she'd done before, printed off a copy for her journal, then fired off her e-mail to Miss Carter. She filed the printed page into her second journal, then proceeded to get dressed. She was contemplating wearing either her black "cereal killer" tee or the off-white shirt with the MC Escher stairs when there was a knock on her door.

"One sec!" Max quickly tossed on the Escher shirt then walked over and opened her door. And smiled. "Rachel! Steph! Morning!"

"Morning, sunshine," Rachel greeted, stepping inside and giving Max a warm hug. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, after I actually went to sleep. I wound up staying up a bit late doing research." Max let go of Rachel and stepped right into a second hug, this one from Steph. "How about you two?"

"Eh, got enough to survive the day," Steph replied as she stepped back. "Finally got around to playing _Gone Home_ and couldn't put it down. Finished it in one sitting."

"That's the gay one, right?" Rachel asked.

Steph rolled her eyes. "Yes, the gay one." She gave Max a small grin. "Has that coming of age, self-discovery deal sprinkled with a healthy dose of idealistic optimism. I'll show it to you sometime."

"Sounds good," Max replied.

Rachel hopped onto Max's bed. "What kind of research were you doing, anyway?"

"Oh. Um." Max blushed. "Sex toys." She ducked her head and shuffled in place. "It was because of what Brooke mentioned during our interview last night, that's all. Not because... I mean--"

"Hey." Steph placed a calming hand on Max's shoulder. "It's okay. There's no judgment in this room, not from us."

"Uh-uh, no way," Rachel stated with a shake of her head. "We wouldn't judge you or anyone for researching sex toys, ever, even if it was for yourself and not the assignment. Not to mention we'd be the world's biggest hypocrites if we did."

"She's right," Steph agreed, giving Max's shoulder a small squeeze. "This might be a bit TMI but Rachel, Chloe, and I did a lot of research to find the perfect toys because, as you might've discovered, one size definitely doesn't fit all."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm." Rachel leaned back on her arms and gave her hair a slight toss. "Think of it like buying a new camera. With so many choices out there, all doing basically the same thing, you have to research to find out what's what so you can get the one that best suits your needs."

The heat eased from Max's face as she considered that angle. "That's... a really good point. Huh. I never would've thought about it that way."

"And sometimes," Steph added, "all the research in the world doesn't mean squat when it comes to actual use. I'd bet you decent money that every girl on this floor has a toy that didn't quite work out as intended and has one that did. I know I do."

"Same," Rachel agreed. "It's irritating to feel like you've wasted money, but it comes with the territory."

Having her two friends speaking so frankly about sex toys made Max's blush return, though she wasn't uncomfortable. Not really. More like, she was... intrigued? She shook her head to banish the mental images that started popping in her head. "I'll, um, keep that in mind."

Steph and Rachel exchanged a quick grin behind the blushing girl's head. Damn, Max was fucking cute! But now, it was time to shift to another subject before Max could turtle any further. To that end, Steph gave Max a friendly nudge. "So, the reason Rachel and I stopped by is we wanted to find out if you wanted to grab breakfast with us?"

"Because we're both in the extended program, some of our classes start at 9 instead of 10, but not today's. So, we have plenty of time to grab something before class. Plus, hey, it's pancake day." Rachel shrugged. "They're definitely not Two Whales quality but they'll do in a pinch."

Max looked up and gave the two a smile. "That sounds like a good idea." And it was. She, like most students at Blackwell, rather enjoyed pancake day, though not because the food in question was outstanding. Rather, it was thanks to the single-serve packets of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup the cafeteria carried that made them a real treat.

After Max turned off her phone's second alarm, she slipped into her hoodie, grabbed her school stuff, and together with Rachel and Steph, left her room. The three chatted a bit about optical illusions (Max's shirt inspired the subject) when they exited the dorm and Max got an eyeful of the student body. Completely shocked by what she saw, she tripped over her own feet and would've eaten the sidewalk if it wasn't for Rachel and Steph catching her.

Max barely noticed. All around the campus, her peers were walking to and fro, heading to class, chatting, eating, screwing around, just like they've always done. Except, there was more skin on display. A hell of a lot more. A large percentage of said peers were now clad in leather, PVC, spandex, and other fetish attire, the majority of it skin-tight and/or skimpy. A couple people were completely nude except for their slave collar, and were being led to class by a leash. Max even saw a few subs on their hands and knees, crawling around like pets. She blinked as one of them actually dropped a ball at the feet of his presumed Domme, who knelt and gave him a pat on the head and a slow kiss. Then, tossed the ball again.

Fetch. A Domme was playing fetch with her Pet. Not even twenty feet away. Max gulped as her face practically ignited. This was... That was...

She was only partially aware of gentle hands on her upper arms and back, guiding her off the sidewalk and rotating her away from the view. But she only came back to herself when Rachel's concerned visage filled her vision. "Max? You holding up there?"

"I..." Max let out a shuddering breath. "Um, yes? No?" She glanced between her two friends, looking more than a little overwhelmed. "I don't know..."

Steph gave Max's back a small rub. "You're okay. We're right here for you." She quickly thought back on the stuff Rachel and Chloe told her about Max, then gave her a gentle smile. "Take a moment and just breathe. There's no rush. We have plenty of time."

"O-okay. Um." Max closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then another. On her third breath, she visibly relaxed. On the fourth, she opened her eyes and gave Steph a small nod. "Thanks." She turned to Rachel. "Both of you."

"Any time."

Max took another breath and shook her head. "Just, um... Wowsers!" She gave her two friends a sheepish smile. "That was... something...? I mean, I read Miss Carter's e-mail so I should've been prepared but that totally threw me."

"For someone who's never been exposed to this much of the lifestyle before, it's a culture shock, I'm sure." Steph gave Max a soft smile. "That's part of the reason we wanted to be here for you."

Rachel nodded. "We absolutely wanted to get breakfast with you, too, but once we got to thinking about what today was going to be like, we also figured you might need a bit of a buffer or something, at least until you're used to it."

Steph gave Max's shoulder another squeeze. "Think of us as your Domme bodyguards. We'll protect you as we run the gauntlet from here to the cafeteria."

Max giggled even as gratitude filled her. "Thanks again, guys. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Rachel said, a bright smile on her face. She then turned Max around to face the main building. "Now, let's get moving. I don't know about you two but I'm starved!"

With that, the trio made their way to the cafeteria, with Max doing her best not to stare but, dammit, she couldn't help herself. There was just so much to see! New Dommes, fresh subs, a variety of kink on display, various fetishes all around. It was quite interesting but really didn't become "intriguing" until her brain started swapping out the random Dommes with her friends and herself into whatever sub roles she saw present. Rachel, Steph, Victoria, Dana, Kate, hell, even Chloe!

She flushed and ducked her head as they entered the main building. No! Bad Max! They're your friends, not deviant fantasy fuel! But there was one thing that occurred to her as she got her tray of food: were all of those students recent graduates? There seemed to be an awful lot of people out and about, more so than she figured. So, once everyone was settled and eating, Max asked about it.

Steph shook her head, swallowing a bite. "Actually, I'd estimate only about a half of the people we saw are recent graduates. The rest are regular students eager to strut their stuff, feel themselves out, or are just excited to finally dress like this."

"They weren't allowed before?" That seemed a bit odd but would explain why she hadn't seen anything like this earlier in the year.

"Nope. Until the first found of D/S classes are finished, students aren't allowed to dress in their fetish attire or indulge in their kinks during school hours. It's a grace period of normalcy that was first implemented about, what, 15 years ago?" Steph turned to Rachel, who nodded.

"Yeah, that's about right."

Steph turned back to Max. "To ensure that the students establish themselves as students first. Pretty certain it had to do with improving the drop-out rate at the time because, as you can imagine, people running around in their birthday suits might be just a tad distracting."

"Maybe a little," Max said with a smile.

"So now, students can. Within reason," Steph said with a shrug. "You can't just stop in the middle of class and start going at it, for example. Blackwell's a school and training facility, not Sodom and Gomorrah. But between classes, lunch period, after school, that's a whole different matter."

Swallowing her last bite, Max wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I take it this is the new norm?"

Rachel nodded as she polished off her orange juice. "Some of this will likely die down as the week progresses and people get it out of their system, but yes, a lot of it is here to stay. It was like this last year, too. Expect to see a lot more Dommes and subs dressing the part, so to speak, and a lot more collars being worn."

Max brought up her hand and brushed her fingers across her training collar. Now that Rachel mentioned it, she did recall seeing quite a few around. "But not everyone is claimed, right?"

"Oh, definitely not. Most of the collars being worn are actually like yours," Steph said with a nod in Max's direction, "and have no clasp, showing no attachment to any Domme."

"Are they braided as well, showing the sub's still in training? I didn't look too carefully."

"Some are," Rachel answered. "Some will wear a braided design to show they're still taking classes, but it isn't universal. Other subs will continue to wear a braided design until they have practical experience under their belt, regardless of their classes. Some just like the look and feel of a solid collar over braided. And others will never wear a collar until they're claimed. It's all really subjective."

"Other schools/training facilities have collars included in their dress codes," Steph added. "Either they're color coded or there's a tag or charm that hangs from the collar to indicate class level. Blackwell's too small for something like that, though."

"I remember reading about that, actually," Max stated, "when my parents and I were researching schools to submit my photography to. The idea of that made me a bit uncomfortable, though."

"Too regimented?" Rachel asked.

"That, and, well, I always hated the female uniforms at schools." Max shrugged. "I'm not really a skirt kind of girl."

"Word." Steph reached across the table to fist-bump Max and Rachel, both of whom reciprocated with wide grins.

The 5-minute warning bell chose to go off at that moment, reminding the three that class would be starting soon. Together, they all rose from the table and dumped their trash, then stacked their trays. Once that was finished, Rachel and Steph each gave Max a warm hug.

"See you after classes, okay?" Rachel said as she let go of Max.

"Will do," Max replied. "And thanks."

Steph brushed a hand down Max's upper arm and smiled. "Always."

 

* * *

 

Max's first two classes, AP English and Photography, went rather well. There was a moment in English, though, that was interesting. One student, Franklin, who Max didn't know all that well, had his wrists bound behind his back with a set of handcuffs. Mrs. Hoida noticed and asked him to release himself as taking notes would be downright impossible otherwise. When he explained that his Dom had the keys and he had yet to earn his freedom, Mrs. Hoida calmly reached into her supply cabinet, withdrew a set of heavy duty bolt cutters, and cut him loose.

"No D/S activity may interfere with normal class functions," she explained as she put the cutters back in the cabinet. "Your Dom should already know this. If he doesn't and has a problem with this rule, tell him to come see me. However, if he does, as I suspect is the case, then he has clearly demonstrated that he doesn't have your best interests at heart." Mrs. Hoida paused and gave him a measured look. "Be prepared to seek a new Dom."

Max was impressed by Mrs. Hoida's no-nonsense approach to the situation and wondered how many times her teacher had seen and dealt with stuff like that before. It also made her curious to know if Mrs. Hoida had ever dealt with a naked student prior to the fiasco last week. Maybe, maybe not. But regardless, she had reacted so quickly and professionally, doing everything she could to shield Max as much as she could while simultaneously getting her the help she needed. Max had already thanked her for that last week but it couldn't hurt to say so again. So, once class was finished, she did exactly that, along with offering Mrs. Hoida a cookie, which was accepted with a warm, appreciative smile.

Photography held no surprises. Unlike what she witnessed this morning, no one was dressed any differently than before. Max decided that was a good thing as there wasn't anything out of the old-ordinary that would distract her from her favorite subject. Her mind couldn't help but wander, though, and she wondered if Courtney was sporting a new look now. Was she the type of person who wanted to dress differently for her Domme? Was Victoria the type of person who'd want her sub to dress more like a sub? Whatever that might be, anyway. Since Max wasn't sure what kind of sub Courtney was, she had no clue what look was appropriate, though she did recall Courtney sitting on the floor next to Victoria and using the title of "Mistress." Maybe a Servant? And speaking of titles, did Victoria demand Courtney call her Mistress? Max immediately shook her head. No, that didn't seem right. Not now, not after what she had seen Saturday evening. Max was pretty certain Courtney's use of the title of Mistress was a consensual thing and not a command.

Consent! That's right! Max blinked as she suddenly remembered something she wanted to ask Victoria about. Something super important. And just in the nick of time, too, as the bell had just rung and everyone was scrambling to leave class and head to lunch. Max rose from her seat, approached the Queen Bee of Blackwell, and cleared her throat. "Hey, um, Victoria?"

Victoria paused in the middle of packing her camera into her carry bag and turned to the shy hipster. "Yes?"

No insults, no sarcasm. Okay. So far, so good. Max took a deep breath and continued. "I was wondering, what's the correct sort of punishment for a Dom who ignores a safeword?"

Instantly, Victoria's eyes narrowed. "Who hurt you?"

Max's eyes widened at the abrupt anger and she instinctively took a half-step back. "No one! I'm fine! Really! Um, I'm not hurt or anything and I haven't... with... y'know." Max's face turned a bit red as she turned away.

Victoria barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. Max was such an open book it was almost painful to witness. At least she was telling the truth, that much was obvious. Victoria relaxed her expression and shifted her stance to be far less intimidating. "Okay. So, if not you, then who?"

Max turned back to Victoria and blinked owlishly. Well, fuck. She really didn't think this through, did she? She couldn't very well answer because she absolutely didn't have Dana's permission to talk about her specifics with anyone, not that Dana would want anyone to know in the first place. Max was just hoping to learn something that could help, so she tried to deflect. "Um, no one? I was thinking, like, um, hypothetically." A flash of inspiration hit and she continued. "You know, for my assignment? You told me about safewords before but not if a Dom ignores one."

Once again, Max demonstrated she was an open book, except this time, it was obvious she was lying through her teeth. Still, it was a valid question, so Victoria opted to answer. She'd get the truth later. "It greatly depends. If the Dom is a professional and operating out of a facility, the aggrieved sub could file a complaint at the location. There'd be an investigation and both parties interviewed to determine if the complaint is a valid one. Not all of them are. It could be an instance where the sub is crying wolf or just being a piece of shit since they didn't like how the session played out. Too many false alarms by a sub and they'd be barred from ever coming back. If it is a legitimate complaint, it could be a result of Dom being new or inexperienced. Mistakes can and do happen, the majority of which can be rectified with more training. If it isn't that, however, and the Dom in question accumulates too many complaints against them, they'd be ejected from the facility and their license revoked.

"The same sort of thing applies if the Dom is a pro but operating out of their home instead. In those cases, complaints would have to be filed with the BDSB, as any legitimate D/S business must be registered locally for exactly this purpose. Too many complaints against a home business will also result in the Dom's license being revoked. In both cases, that should be enough as no self-respecting sub will ever agree to do business with an unlicensed Dom. The risks are just too great.

"If it was a private encounter between a Dom and a sub, however, such as a date, then the options are a lot more limited, especially if there were no injuries. At that point, any complaint becomes a word vs word, making it nearly impossible to prove guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt, which is what the courts would require for anything like restitution or proper punishment. It's unfortunate but sadly, that's life. All that can really be done in that case is mutual avoidance. Even word of mouth complaints aren't incredibly successful and can even result in a the complainer being sued for slander."

Max sighed as she slowly nodded. She was afraid of that. "Okay. Thanks for the information."

"You're welcome."

Taylor watched for a moment as Max went back to her table to gather her supplies, then followed Victoria out the door, curious as to what prompted the question. It certainly was a heavier subject than she expected. Thinking back on her own sexual encounters, Taylor could only be thankful she'd never run into that sort of situation herself, though truthfully, as she was less kinky than most, she'd never really needed safewords. Worst she'd ever run into was saying "no" to anal. Not that she was totally against it but she just hadn't been in the mood at the time and he was being a persistent putz about the whole damn thing.

On the way to their preferred outside table, Taylor took in the sights. She would happily admit she loved when the first round of D/S courses graduated as it granted her tons of new eye candy, Dom and sub alike. Some were ridiculous, like the guy wearing the leather pants and vest with no shirt? Hello, fashion police? Yes, the Village People called and they want their singer back. But overall, what was on display was rather nice and more than enough to give a girl ideas. And several fantasies. "Maybe it's time for you to break out your Domme outfit," she said, turning to Victoria. "Show all the newbies how it's really done."

Victoria snorted. "I'm not looking to attract another gaggle of wannabe Slaves. I made that mistake once already and have no desire to stress Court out again."

"Point," Taylor conceded as they approached the table where Courtney and Nathan sat. A wild idea popped in her head and she grinned. "How about dressing the part and knocking on Max's door, then?"

"Are you kidding?" Victoria sat next to Courtney and gave her sub a quick kiss. "Do you want me to give her a heart attack? I show up in my leathers and I guarantee if she didn't faint outright, she'd likely shoot straight into sub space." She accepted the salad Courtney gave with a grateful nod. "No. If Saturday's fiasco taught me anything, it's that Max requires special handling, which is something I'm still trying to figure out."

"You'll get there," Taylor said as she sat across from Courtney, then smiled as she took the wrap her friend handed her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Nathan finished his bite of food and washed it down with a gulp of soda. "Any idea when you'll be doing your group dinner date thing?" He had gotten the general low-down from Victoria Sunday afternoon.

The blonde in question popped a cucumber in her mouth and hummed thoughtfully as she chewed. "Most likely, Saturday. Thursday's the Mixer and Friday's the football game. And I have a feeling that tomorrow might be a bit too soon."

Nodding, Nathan took another bite from his hoagie. "Lemme know how it goes," he said, mouth full, "so I can either get you champagne to celebrate or tequila to forget."

"Piss off," was Victoria's not unkind response as she started on her salad proper.

The four ate in companionable silence for several minutes, Taylor and Courtney flicking through their phones the entire time. Nathan polished off his lunch and lit a cigarette while Victoria was busy contemplating her recently concluded conversation with Max. She finished her salad, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and took a sip of her water. "Court. Sweet-T. Can either of you confirm that Dana and Logan are still separated?"

"As near as I can tell, Mistress," Courtney replied. "I haven't noticed either of them together between classes or after school like they had been."

"I spoke to Quentin last week," Taylor piped in, "and he said that Logan told him that he dumped her."

"Reason?"

"Something about her not being fun anymore or becoming too demanding, I think." Taylor shrugged. "He wasn't too sure. Personally, I think he was just excited about maybe getting in her pants."

"Figures," Victoria said, shaking her head. "Okay, I'm calling an official meeting of the Vortex Club leadership. Right now."

The announcement made the other three sit up. "Do you need me to fetch Sarah, then, Mistress?"

"Won't be necessary," Victoria replied. "I honestly don't feel like dealing with her at the moment. And besides, this'll be short. I just need a majority vote to eject Logan from the Vortex and bar him from any and all future club activities."

Everyone exchanged quick glances before Nathan spoke up. "Okay, what gives? Logan's a jerk, sure, but he's okay."

"Let's just say that I don't trust his judgment as a Dom," Victoria responded, then gave Taylor a measured look.

Who blinked in realization. "Oh, shit. You think she's the one Max was talking about?"

"Who else?" Victoria raised her hand and began ticking off her fingers. "She asked about Doms ignoring safewords but that it wasn't about her. That part was absolutely correct because if it had been, I guarantee there would've been a lot more stuttering and outright fear. So, she had to be talking about another sub. Most likely, it's someone she spoke with recently for her interviews, which narrows it down to the girls' dorm. That leaves you, Court, Dana, Brooke, Sarah, and maybe Alyssa. You're out since you would've told me if something like that ever happened. Court's out for obvious reasons. Brooke would've punched Warren in the face by now. Alyssa's ace, so she wouldn't have been doing anything with a Dom in the first place. And Sarah values her bones in their current state way too much to have approached Max."

"Well, fuck." Taylor shook her head slowly. To think that Logan...?

"Wait, hold up." Nathan flicked the ash from his cigarette. "You think that Logan ignored a safeword from Dana, and that's why they broke up?"

"Pretty damn sure they didn't 'break up.' She likely dumped his ass and he's saying the opposite to save face." Victoria shook her head in disgust. "I don't want that sort of trash around our club. Too big of a risk that our rep would tank if he hooked up at a party and fucked up again. And I refuse to entertain any Dom stupid enough to ignore basic play safety."

"Huh." Nathan took one last puff from his cigarette, then crushed it out. "You got my vote."

"Mine too," Taylor said with a firm nod.

"Then, it's official. Logan's out." Victoria turned to Courtney. "Relay this vote to Sarah, along with the edict that she's not allowed to share this with anyone, then calmly remind her the cost of ignoring my edicts. I want Logan to face some public humiliation for his actions and getting barred from our party, surrounded by fresh subs looking for Doms, is the perfect way to deliver it."

"Yes, Mistress."

"And everyone, keep the Dana info to yourself. She's not on our shit list so there's no need to spread this around."

"No prob."

"Sure."

"Yes, Mistress."

With that, Courtney stood to start gathering the group's trash when Victoria stopped her with a soft touch to her wrist.

"I'll handle this. When you're done with Sarah, meet me in my room. I have something for you to try on."

Courtney smiled. "Okay. Thank you, Mistress."

"You're welcome."

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day went smoothly for Max. In Science Lab, before class started, Warren surprised the heck out of her by apologizing. "I really didn't get that you didn't have any interest in guys, let alone me." He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish look. "I hope I wasn't being too pushy while being that dense."

Max smiled. "Thanks. But honestly, if it wasn't for Stella and Dana at the party, and me talking to Brooke afterwards, I never would've figured it out. I'm really bad at picking up hints like that." She shrugged. "I hope I wasn't accidentally leading you on. Friends?"

Warren lifted his hand in the Vulcan salute, which Max returned. "Absolutely. Now, let's see if we can blow something up."

Max snickered and gave him a slight shove. "Dork."

As class continued, Max discovered she felt more comfortable around Warren than before. They still joked, still knew when to knuckle down and get to work, were still solid partners when it came to Bunsen burners and chemical mixing. But Warren didn't lean in as close as before and was content with fist-bumps over one-armed hugs when things went well. It wasn't that his previous behavior made her uncomfortable. Not exactly? It's just, she had always found it difficult to say no to gestures like that without feeling stupidly awkward. She didn't quite know how else to stop it, though, even when Brooke started giving her the evil eye, so she let it continue. But today, she left Lab in high spirits. If this was her new normal with both Warren and Brooke, she could definitely get used to it.

After Lab came Media Lit, where nothing unusual ever happened, with the only exception being Juliet greeting her warmly. Not that she was ever mean to Max in the past but before, she only got polite nods. Now, Juliet was all about friendly smiles and short chats, asking Max how she's been, that sort of thing. Max figured it probably had to do with her being grateful to Max for helping Dana, though she did hold out some quiet hope that Juliet kinda sorta thought of Max as perhaps friend-ish? She was super nice at the party, so maybe...?

The 4:00 bell interrupted her internal musings. Max took her time packing up her things even as most everyone scrambled out of class. Max never understood that mentality. Rushing to leave just meant smashing face-first into the throngs of students who were all thinking the same thing. Why not take their time instead and avoid the crowd? Max shrugged even as she popped in her ear buds and exited the class, slowly making her way to the closest restroom to freshen up before her 4:10 meeting. Once that was finished, she walked to the first floor and killed the remaining time by reading some of the flyers posted on one of the hall's corkboards: an ad offering private piano lessons here, a message asking about some missing handcuffs there. A brightly printed poster for the upcoming D/s/$ Mixer here, a request for aroma therapy candles there.

Max was contemplating the horrific handwriting and spelling of another message on the board (it either had to do with an unofficial skater club meeting or a request to form a paranormal ghost hunting expedition, she wasn't sure which) when there was a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. She turned and saw Miss Carter coming down the hall, looking... Well, looking like she normally did. Which is to say, powerful, professional, and really, really pretty. She wore a short-sleeved white blouse open at the neck, a silver necklace, and silver bangles on each wrist. Her skirt today was denim, deep blue in color, and long, though not quite floor length. Black ankle boots completed the ensemble and though the heels weren't super tall, they did give her a couple more inches in height. But most importantly was the smile she wore. It was warm, friendly, and caring, and had the effect of soothing the slight guilt Max felt over staring at her guidance counselor.

Max turned off her music and plucked out her ear buds. "Good afternoon, Miss Carter."

"Good afternoon, Max. How're you doing today?"

"Really good, actually." Max followed Miss Carter as she led the way to her office. "Um, bit of a culture shock this morning but thanks to Rachel and Steph, I was able to weather the storm."

"I'm glad for that," Miss Carter replied as opened her office door and entered, then motioned towards the couch. "Please, have a seat."

"Sure." Max slipped the messenger bag off her shoulder and took a seat on one end of the couch, then blinked. "Wow."

Miss Carter was opening her filing cabinet and turned to Max, smiling. "You like?"

"Oh, yeah." Max shifted in her seat and couldn't help but bounce herself slightly. "You're right, this is really comfortable. I can easily picture you or anyone taking a nap here."

"The couch is actually something I purchased on my own," Miss Carter stated as she withdrew a sheet from the filing cabinet then closed the drawer. "Normally, I'd say 'you should have seen the leather monstrosity Blackwell had originally given me' but trust me, no one needed to see that." She stepped to the couch and sat on the opposite end from Max, curling her legs partially beneath her. "I replaced it as fast as humanly possible."

Max turned to face Miss Carter folding her right leg in front of her. "Any idea what happened to the original?"

"I believe it went to the boys' common room where it was summarily destroyed within a month." Miss Carter smirked slightly. "It was no huge loss."

The two shared a small chuckle before Max blinked. "Oh, right!" She pulled her messenger bag back into her lap and opened it, withdrawing the plastic food bag that was now about a third full. "I promised you cookies. Um..." Max held the bag in both hands, her anxiety spiking abruptly. Was she being dumb? Would Miss Carter like one? Were they good enough for her? Max cleared her throat. "Would you... I mean, did you-- um..."

"I would absolutely love a cookie," Miss Carter said, keeping her voice soft and soothing. Knowing Max's role, she now had a good idea as to why her charge was suddenly getting nervous around her. "I can already tell they're delicious as the bag is far from full. Have your friends been enjoying them, as well?"

"Yeah," Max said with a small nod. "Very much. I've also been sharing them with my teachers throughout the day." She carefully opened the bag and offered them to Miss Carter. "I hope there's something here you like."

"I already see one that looks incredible." Miss Carter reached forward and delicately plucked out a double chocolate chip cookie. She cupped a hand beneath her chin and took a careful bite. And closed her eyes in delight. "Mmmmm..."

Max watched with a hopeful expression as Miss Carter chewed and swallowed. "You like it?"

"Yes, definitely. It's quite delicious." Miss Carter gave Max a grin. "In fact, it's so good, you're about to see something incredibly rare for a member of Blackwell's faculty."

"Oh?"

"Gluttony." And with that, Miss Carter popped the remainder of the cookie in her mouth and began chewing, smile still on her face.

A warm feeling filled Max and she couldn't help but smile. Miss Carter liked the cookie. She really did enjoy something Max gave her. It was so damn awesome to know and to see. As she watched, Miss Carter rose from the couch and walked to a mini fridge in the corner of her office, something Max never noticed before as it was normally hidden from view by the large desk. Opening the fridge, Miss Carter withdrew a bottle of cold coffee, popped the cap, and took a drink.

"That was a wonderful cookie," Miss Carter stated as she put the coffee back and closed the fridge door. "A nice sweet treat to cap off the day. Thank you for sharing."

Max beamed. "You're welcome." She shifted in her seat and offered the bag again. "Did you want another one?"

"Quite tempting but I'm afraid I must decline. Otherwise, I'll spend our entire appointment eating rather than helping." Miss Carter lowered herself back onto the couch. "I might snag one afterwards, though, for the drive home."

"Sure."

Miss Carter waited for Max to put the cookies away. "I read your report this morning for your interview with Brooke," she began. "Lovely work."

Max flushed at the compliment. "Thank you."

"You've done so well with all of your interviews thus far," Miss Carter continued, "and I have no doubt your reports for the final four interviews will be just as informative. But before we go into detail about what will happen once your last interview is concluded, I wanted to address something rather important."

"Oh. Um, okay."

Miss Carter gave Max a gentle smile. "Nothing bad, I assure you. The exact opposite, in fact. But first, you mentioned in a few of your reports that you don't seem to have any specific kinks of your own, but there were some that were absolutely, 100%, never going to happen, correct?"

"Yes," Max said with a nod, then fiddled with her hands. "I was worried that that wasn't normal."

"It's absolutely normal," Miss Carter stated. "Remember, everyone is different and, as you've discovered, nearly everything is subjective to the individual."

"Okay." Max relaxed a bit more in her seat, thankful she wasn't being weird.

"Would you also consider yourself an introvert?"

Max nodded. "Yes. Except, I'm also finding that I enjoy spending time with my friends? Like, studying, reading, talking, or even doing nothing at all."

"Which is perfectly natural," Miss Carter stated, anticipating Max's next question. "Being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean always wanting to be alone. Most introverts I know have a close friend or friends they enjoy spending time with. They'd rather enjoy their company in a private setting rather than a club or surrounded by strangers, that's all."

"That's definitely me."

Miss Carter gave Max a warm smile. Time for the good news. "Would you believe that all of these things we've discussed, not having a specific kink interest yet having an aversion to some, and being an introvert, are all signs of a very specific role?"

Max's heart skipped a beat as she blinked in shock. "...what?"

Leaning forward, Miss Carter took a hold of the sheet of paper on the coffee table. "I spoke to a colleague of mine, Dr. Sandsmark, who is also a close personal friend and gave her the generalities of your situation. She uncovered a magazine article about a rare sub role that, I believe, is a perfect match for you. Here." She handed Max the printed page. "I've highlighted some key parts, though the entire article is an excellent read." She sat back and waited, keeping a close eye on her charge. When she saw Max's eyes widen, heard her soft gasp of surprise, Miss Carter smiled. "Congratulations, Max. You're a Doll."

A lengthy silence followed her proclamation. It was a shock, Miss Carter knew, for Max to suddenly find she had a role after thinking she'd never have one. She anticipated a fair amount of disbelief, a flurry of questions asking for confirmation, followed by elation and, perhaps, celebration. Instead, and to her complete surprise, Max sniffed loudly as her eyes filled with tears. She started trembling, completely overcome with emotion, and before Miss Carter could react, Max collapsed in on herself and started bawling.

Miss Carter quickly slid over to the stricken sub and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "There, there... I got you, Max. I'm here." The intensity of Max's reaction caught her off-guard but nevertheless, she knew exactly what to do: provide comfort. Be a rock. Hold on tight. Let her cry. And cry she did. The sheer pain in Max's weeping made her own heart ache in sympathy. How long had it been since Max let herself go like this? Months, most likely. God, this poor girl...

She felt Max grasp at her blouse and skirt as she wailed, and pulled her partially into her lap. She started rocking her gently and stroked Max's head while whispering soothing words, doing everything she could to comfort the devastated sub.

"...i"

Miss Carter blinked when Max croaked out the word. She bent down as far as she could and whispered, "I'm here for you, Max. Take your time. Whatever you need, I'll be here." She listened as Max sobbed, gasping out incoherent noise that tried to form words. She felt Max swallow and clench herself into a ball, forcing herself to cry out the words that begged for release:

"...i'm _something_..."

For the girl who spent years believing she was nothing, could never be anything, didn't deserve to exist, to finally know she was actually something, was crushing. Max brokenly repeated that phrase over and over again as she desperately clutched at Miss Carter, whose own eyes filled with tears as she held Max close.

"...i'm something..."

"...i'm something…"

"...something..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so fucking sorry this chapter took so damn long! You wouldn't believe how guilty I felt as the delay kept growing and growing. Part of the reason was, well, my depression decided to make itself known once again and sadly, it brought reinforcements. So that was a nice series of days when nothing productive occurred. Thanks, brain!
> 
> Another reason was things just weren't clicking with the Max/Miss Carter scene. I went through several iterations of that scene, trying to get it to feel right, before I finally tried a new approach: trim the fat. In other words, cut out literally everything but the reveal, then work backwards, adding minimal dialogue until the scene made basic sense, then add the extra bits. That finally got things going.
> 
> But then I ran into a new problem: what happens afterwards? Obviously, Miss Carter takes Max to the nearby restroom and gets her cleaned up, then escorts her back to the dorms. But, after writing that scene, even though it was competently written, it felt flat. The scene of Miss Carter actually in Max's room was fine but the lead-up felt extraneous. That caused more delays as I tried to figure out what to do. It kind of needed to be there; I didn't want either character to magically teleport to Max's room, after all. And my usual method of changing the POV wasn't going to work, either, since the only two people around are Max and Miss Carter, and Max was in no condition to do anything.
> 
> Enter Juliet. I decided to insert her as an outside character looking in and it worked beautifully. Made things feel right, flow well, and even had the added bonus of giving the readers a bit of insight into her thought processes, something that will be important much later. Perfect!
> 
> Except, now the chapter was approaching 12k words. Seemed a bit excessive. And there was stuff that came right after that flowed too well to cut out. "Well, shit," I thought to myself. Now what?
> 
> Answer: cut the chapter right at the revelation. Add the Juliet scene to the following chapter, before the Max/Miss Carter scene in the dorm. And voilà! I had both, my solution to the flow problem, the solution to the "this don't feel right" issue, more substance for chapter 40, and a nice tonal shift to boot.
> 
> TL;DR - Many problems writing this chapter but, as a consequence, chapter 40 already has around 3600 words and should be out much, much sooner.
> 
> Coming up next: Juliet's just a bit nosey, Miss Carter reveals her magic powers to Max, and the details of Max's role are revealed.


	40. I, Doll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: you may have to suspend your disbelief when it comes to one specific part of this chapter. You'll know it when you see it.
> 
> If you're interested, hop on over to <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/> to see other weird crap I post.

Juliet Watson, ace reporter and investigative journalist, exited Blackwell's press room (really, the Media Lit room after normal school hours) with a sense of satisfaction. The next issue of the Blackwell Totem was coming rather along nicely and now that her preliminary article was complete, briefly outlining Blackwell's prominence as a training facility, it was time to get cracking on interviewing several of the recent graduates. She had Brooke and Warren lined up tonight and planned to speak to a few non-residents tomorrow. Her goal was to get their thoughts about their just-concluded classes, ask how they felt about dipping their toes into the lifestyle, find out who'd be taking advanced courses, that sort of thing.

Still, there was one person she was itching to interview for the paper more than any other: Max Caulfield, the shy girl that almost no one had paid much attention to at the beginning of the year but was rapidly becoming the quiet focus of several Dommes. Juliet didn't really know much about Max except the basics: she was here on a photography scholarship and was apparently pretty damn good with her instant film camera of choice. So good that Victoria had marked Max as her #1 rival. And that Dana had something of a crush on her. But a week ago, Max very definitively grabbed Juliet's interest. After all, it wasn't everyday that anyone, Dom or sub, ran through the campus naked before the first D/S graduation and wasn't immediately expelled. Juliet was dying to know the exact details of what transpired there.

Interviews were completely out of the question for now, though. Rachel had made damn sure of that. Not only was it impossible for Juliet to find anyone who witnessed what had happened that particular morning, Rachel managed to corner her at lunch time last Tuesday and proceeded to describe in exquisite detail exactly what she'd do to her if the reporter tried writing a story about it. Even considering that some of those things she mentioned were anatomically impossible, Juliet had no doubt whatsoever that Rachel'd give it one hell of a go. And that's not counting what Chloe might do to her once Rachel was finished.

Ah, well. She'd get the details from Max herself when the photographer came to interview her for that D/S assignment. She just hated not being able to dig into the story right away. Still, even she could admit there was a net positive about the lack of story in the Totem: the distinct lack of gossip about Max. Sure, there was some mention about the incident amongst the populace, the grapevine being what it was, but without a Totem article to maintain focus on it, the school's collective attention had drifted onto other topics, leaving Max relatively unscathed.

Juliet took the stairs to the first floor and made her way down the hall. Before leaving the building, she stopped at one of the corkboards hanging in the hall and quickly scanned it for content. Every now and then, there'd be something there that was worth investigating, especially handy if it was a slow news week. She had barely reached a third of the way down, however, when the sound of a door opening came from behind. Curious, Juliet turned to see who it was, and froze.

It was Max and Miss Carter. Leaving the restroom. Together. Holding hands...? As Juliet watched, Miss Carter led Max down the hall, her pace rather slow, then out the building.

Juliet couldn't help but grin to herself. Story time~! It wasn't everyday that the head disciplinarian, or any member of Blackwell's faculty for that matter, was found holding hands with a student and the opportunity to uncover a juicy story was too tempting to ignore. Juliet quickly made her way down the hall herself and opened the exit door, quickly spotting the two. Yup, there they were, still walking hand-in-hand, heading in the direction of the dorms. She began following the pair, matching the pair's slow pace to maintain distance, then did her best to get a read on the situation.

Her elation at discovering the two was slowly making way to curiosity. She had instinctively assumed the two had just concluded some illicit tryst ('cause let's face it, Miss Carter was one smoking hot Domme!) but now that she was thinking objectively, she could see that theory was virtually impossible. Max was just too damn shy to accept any attentions of that sort without turning into a stuttering wreck and Miss Carter, to the best of her knowledge, had never given any outward sign of having sexual interest in anyone, much less a student. Plus, their entire demeanor didn't read post-coitus anything. No, this was something else. But what?

Other students in and around the quad also noticed the unlikely duo and watched as the pair passed them by, but neither the guidance counselor nor Max paid the onlookers any attention. In fact, Max had yet to raise her eyes from the ground the entire walk. She was like that in the main building, too, Juliet realized. Definitely not the behavior or someone who was feeling happy or even content. Sad, then? Morose? Depressed? And Miss Carter was talking her back to her room?

Hmm. A session, then. Something had happened during a session with the guidance counselor. Something rough and/or bad, likely emotionally charged, enough to make Max cry and need cleaning up in the restroom…? And now, Max, wrung out, probably feeling lost and vulnerable, needed some help getting back to her room, so Miss Carter was doing the right thing by escorting her the whole way back, to make certain she was safe and sound?

Okay, that made way more sense than some illegal student/teacher romp in the sack. And upon reaching that conclusion, Juliet started feeling guilty about trailing the two. But, dammit, she didn't know! She thought about breaking away and leaving them to their privacy but right when she was considering it, the two reached the dorm and walked inside.

Juliet stopped outside the same entrance and considered what to do next. Maybe she should walk away? But that was dumb. It's not like she didn't live in the dorms, too, so it'd be kind of stupid to turn away now, right? Not to mention that Dana might want to know something was up with Max when she got out of cheer practice, right? And, well, it was extremely likely that several other girls would notice Max and Miss Carter walking down the hall and get curious themselves, so really, it was probably a good idea to go upstairs and head off their inevitable questions, right?

Right.

Nodding to herself, Juliet entered the dorm as well then climbed to the girls' floor. For better or worse, she was committed to following this to the very end.

 

* * *

 

"We're here."

Miss Carter's voice was soft as she eased Max inside the girl's room, closing the door behind them. Max was still fairly listless, overwhelmed by her emotional collapse from earlier, and Miss Carter hoped being in her own space would help ground her. Making a snap decision, Miss Carter led Max to the bed rather than the sofa. Max climbed onto the bed, lay on her side, then curled into a ball, her hand still holding onto Miss Carter's. It was clear she didn't want to let go.

This wasn't an issue to the guidance counselor at all. She slid Max's messenger bag from her other shoulder and carefully placed it on the floor next to the bed, then sat on the edge of the bed. Once settled, she brushed her thumb over Max's knuckles. "You're safe, Max. Safe and sound, in the comfort of your place."

Max nodded slightly, her gaze unfocused.

Miss Carter brought her other hand over and cupped Max's hand between both of hers. "You're excused from doing any assignments tonight. No reports, no research, no interviews. Outside of taking care of yourself, I don't want you doing anything tonight. Okay?"

"...okay," was Max's whispered reply.

"In addition," Miss Carter continued, "I'm excusing you from class tomorrow." Max blinked at that and finally focused on Miss Carter, who smiled gently. "You've just been through such an emotionally trying time, even more so than last week, and it would be callous of me in the extreme to make you attend as if nothing happened. I'll write your teachers, let them know."

"...sorry."

"Shh." Miss Carter reached out and brushed her fingers through Max's bangs. "None of that. There's nothing for you to apologize about, nothing to be sorry for." Her hand drifted to gently brush Max's hair behind her ear. "You're allowed to feel. People are emotional creatures, after all, no matter how much we'd like to pretend otherwise. And sometimes, when those emotions rage so much and crest so high, it's difficult to cope. When that happens, we need time." She brushed her thumb along Max's cheek and smiled when Max closed her eyes and turned her head ever-so slightly into her palm. "You need time. And that's okay."

"...okay." Max's voice cracked on the word and she cleared her throat. "...thank you..."

"You're most welcome." Giving Max's hair another delicate stroke, Miss Carter continued. "We'll schedule another appointment to conclude our meeting at a later date. Shh," she gently quieted Max, anticipating her reaction. "Again, no apologies are needed. Sometimes, life just gets in the way of schedules and planned events, and you just have to roll with it. In fact, there is a wise saying that I believe is appropriate for this moment."

After a long pause, Max opened her eyes to look Miss Carter in the eyes. "...and what's that?"

"Shit happens."

It took a moment for the blunt statement to penetrate the fog that clouded Max's mind, but when it did, she couldn't help but crack a smile. "...Chloe would love you," she whispered.

Miss Carter grinned. She couldn't ask for a more perfect segue. "Shall I call her for you? Or your other friends?"

Max's gaze turned inwards as she considered it. On one hand, she desperately wanted her friends here. Now. More than ever. But. "...I don't want to bother them..." she whispered as her gaze fell away.

"You shouldn't be alone. Not after today. And I promise, you wouldn't be bothering them. From everything you've told me, not a single one of your friends would ever mind being with you at all, never mind during a time of need."

Miss Carter saw Mix bite her bottom lip, saw the quiet hope on her face, but also the doubt in her eyes. Thinking quickly, Miss Carter once again cupped Max's hand between both of hers. "Have I ever told you I'm actually a goddess?"

"...what?"

Seeing the confusion on Max's face from the incongruous question, Miss Carter gave her charge's hand one last squeeze, then slowly stood. "I have magic powers, Max. So powerful, I can summon your friends right to you with a wave of my hand."

Puzzled, Max pushed herself upright. "um... okay...?"

Bringing a finger to her lips, Miss Carter quietly made her way to Max's door. She held up one hand and ticked down her fingers from four. Three. Two. One. And with a small flourish, grabbed the door handle and jerked the door wide open.

"OOF!"

In spilled Chloe, Rachel, Juliet, and Steph, all of whom were leaning against the door, trying to listen to what was happening inside. Right behind the pile of bodies stood Kate, Victoria, and Courtney, blinking in surprise. Miss Carter had just enough time to glance back at Max with an amused expression before the girls on the floor scrambled to their feet.

"Dude!" Unlike some of the others, who paused to give Miss Carter a sheepish expression, Chloe didn't even spare the guidance counselor a glance as she took three huge steps inside the room and hopped onto the bed next to Max. "What happened? No, fuck that. Doesn't matter." She threw an arm around Max and pulled her close. "C'mere."

"Chloe..." Max sniffed loudly and curled into her childhood friend. "...Chloe..."

One by one, the other girls walked past the guidance counselor and gathered around Max, who was trying and failing to keep more tears at bay. Miss Carter nodded at the sight and turned to leave, only to pause. Kate and Victoria hadn't entered the room yet and seemed to be waiting for her.

Kate spoke first. "Does Max need anything specific from us, Miss Carter?"

"Just your friendship and compassion," was Miss Carter's answer. "She's just been through an extremely trying time so I've excused her from any assignments tonight and from class tomorrow so she can have a self-care day to recover. Be with her as much as you can. For the time being, she shouldn't be alone."

"Would it help, then, if some of us were to miss a class tomorrow, to spend that period with her instead?" Victoria asked.

Miss Carter raised her eyebrow, surprised that Blackwell's self-proclaimed Queen was openly admitting her concern for Max, but she did bring up a valid point. "That's actually a good idea." She glanced back into the room, then back to the two blondes. "Work out amongst yourselves who can afford to miss what class, then e-mail me a list of names and the periods in question. I'll write up permission slips for each person so they don't get docked. However," she raised a finger to stress the importance of what she said next. "Only one slip per class, per person. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Yes, Miss Carter," Kate replied with a nod. "Thank you so much for that."

"You're welcome. Oh, and here." Miss Carter reached into her skirt pocket and handed Kate a folded piece of paper. "This is for Max. While I'm certain she won't have any objections, please ask her permission before reading it."

"I will. Thanks."

Miss Carter waited for Kate to enter the room, then shifted her focus to Victoria, who paused at the attention. "Yes, Miss Carter?"

"Do you remember what it was like two years ago, when you and Courtney first became a unit?" she asked. "The lessons you learned, the lines of communication you forged with one another over time, the patience that had to grow before you two were comfortable with each other?"

"If I live to be a hundred, I doubt I'll ever forget," was Victoria's reply, wondering where Miss Carter was going with this line of questioning.

Miss Carter made a show of looking inside Max's room one more time before meeting Victoria's gaze. "Good." When she saw the understanding dawn on Victoria's face, she nodded once more, turned, and left the dorm.

 

* * *

 

_Hi! My name is Krys Porter and welcome to my journey! In this series of articles, I'm focused on the wide and wondrous world of roles. Love 'em, hate 'em, there's no denying they exist. And there are so many, too, for Dom and sub alike. Join me and together, we'll take a step outside of the norm and into the realm of possibility!_

Most children, but girls especially, have a cherished doll that is there's alone. A trusted companion, a friend in all things, someone who's perfect to join in on their adventures, whatever those adventures might be. Children find so much joy in their dolls because they can become anyone, assume any role, sometimes from moment to moment. From nurses to firefighters to kings and queens to superheroes, nothing is outside the realm of possibility. They are absolutely loved no matter what hat they might wear from day to day.

Real-life Dolls, too, are cherished and adored for nearly the same exact reasons.

In the course of my travels, I've had the pleasure of speaking to several Dolls, though most weren't easy to find. In all my studies, I don't think I've found as rare a submissive role as Doll, though I don't think it's because they are few in number. Okay, not _just_ because of that. Rather, it's because, as an adaptive role, it's very easy to confuse Dolls for dozens of other sub roles if they're already in a relationship with a Dom. Matters aren't helped if the person doing the interviewing is also a Dom!

At their core, Dolls, like other adaptive roles, and like the beloved toy I've named them after, can assume nearly any role and be completely comfortable with it. They are extremely similar to Mirrors[1] in that regard. In fact, because Mirrors are a more well-known role, I'd conjecture that Dolls who aren't actively in a relationship can easily be misidentified as Mirrors and, if the person doesn't know any better, will label themselves as such. There are some slight differences between the two but sadly, these are often ignored even by pros in favor of pigeon-holing. Why go through the effort of understanding the nuances of a role when you can simply shove someone into a pre-existing category, right?

Here's what I've discovered after many conversations and interviews with multiple Dolls and Mirrors:

  * Mirrors naturally assume the role their Dom desires of them

  * Dolls naturally assume the role their Dom desires of them, except for the ones they abhor

  * Mirrors will happily engage in any kink of their Dom without question

  * Dolls will happily engage in any kink of their Dom, until they find they don't like it

  * Mirrors, having no preferences or aversions, can match perfectly to any Dom

  * Dolls, who can have aversions, can be incompatible with certain Doms




As you can see, there are differences between the adaptive roles of Mirrors and Dolls. But because a Doll is generally open to trying anything with their Doms, it's easy to see why they get mistaken for Mirrors. And if a Doll is in a relationship with a Dom, and never comes across a kink they hate, how would they ever know they weren't actually a Mirror?

But there is another key difference between these two roles that I found after extensive interviews: multiple partners. Mirrors may be more adaptable as a whole when compared to Dolls but only one-on-one. They don't seem to play well with others, so to speak. If you recall my article, "The Do's and Don'ts of Poly Relationships,"[2] Mirrors find it difficult to adapt to the simultaneous presence of multiple Doms. Strange as it sounds, it's as if being around more than one Dom at a time "confuses" their senses, which can leave them feeling awkward, discomforted, and uneasy. Dolls, on the other hand, don't appear to have this problem. They can be surrounded by a dozen different Doms possessing a dozen different roles and be perfectly comfortable. Instead of becoming uneasy, they instead unconsciously make minute adjustments to their behaviors to be the best match possible to whichever Dom they're engaged with at that moment.

Now, I don't know if this is a cause/effect thing or just a by-product of their adaptive nature but every Doll I've met tends to care deeply, feel strongly, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Every single one has also been an introvert[3], incredibly empathetic, and sensitive to others. Because of this, which should go without saying, but Doms, please be kind to your Doll. In fact, just be kind! There's no point in being mean.

Think you might be a Doll? Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is there one specific kink or fetish you love more than any other?

  2. Do you have a list of kinks that are revolting to you, that you would never try, ever?

  3. Are you generally indifferent about kink overall?




Numbers 2 and 3 are crucial. If you're indifferent about kink but can't think of anything that's repulsive to you, there's a good chance you might be a Mirror instead. And with the first question, if there is something that piques your interest more than any other, chances are you aren't a Doll but some other role.

Are you a Doll? Here are some important tips for you:

  1. Always remember that, adaptive as you are, you are your own person. Whether you're in a relationship now or not, whether you ever plan to be, you're you, first and foremost.

  2. Don't let yourself be taken for granted. You are important and if the Dom you're with constantly forgets that, then they're not worth your time.

  3. Don't be scared to voice your aversions. You can't be happy if you constantly feel as if you have to force yourself to engage in a specific kink with your Dom.

  4. Understand that your empathy comes with drawbacks, namely, extreme sensitivity to rejection, which can lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and even depression. Coupled with the fact that you're an introvert, this can lead to a bad downward spiral. Talk to your friends, family, loved one, counselor, whomever you can. You deserve to be happy.




Doms, are you interested in dating a Doll? Here are some important tips:

  1. As with all relationships, communication is key. It's the foundation that all successful relationships are built. And yes, I'm well aware that I'm a broken record here but I'll only stop listing it as #1 in every article I write when it stops being true.

  2. Respect your Doll's aversions. For example, if you're an Owner but they hate pet play, accept that you might be better as friends instead of lovers.

  3. Respect your Doll's space. Since every Doll I've ever encountered has been an introvert, understand that at various points in time, they'll need downtime. Talk to them, make certain they have their space, but never abandon them.

  4. Every Doll I've met is sensitive to the moods of others and with a few cruel words, you could shatter them. Handle with care.

  5. Love and cherish your Doll. Simple!




Think you're a Doll but you're actually an extrovert? Congrats! You might actually be a Chameleon, a role I'll be discussing in my next article. Stay tuned for more!

_Krys Porter is a freelance reporter and avid researcher into all things BDSM-related, and several things that aren't. When not travelling the country for another series of articles, she can be found in her modest NYC apartment with her twin subs, Bill and Tom, their cat, Lucy Fur, and numerous fish that she promises will survive this time for certain._

 

* * *

 

Kate, seated on the foot of Max's bed, lowered the paper in her hands, having just finished reading the article out loud, with Max's permission, to the entire room. She looked around, seeing most of the girls in the room paying rapt attention. She turned back to Max who, once again, lay curled on her side, though this time, she was being spooned by Chloe while Rachel sat cross-legged at the head of the bed. Kate gave Max a soft smile. "Congratulations. You found your role. And, if this is to be believed," she said, indicating the page in her hand, "it's quite the rare one, too."

"...thank you," was Max's raspy reply.

Chloe shifted slightly. "Try not to talk too much, dude. Not 'til your throat's better." Max's voice, when she tried to speak earlier, sounded too much like Chloe and Rachel's after a concert, so Courtney had retrieved some throat lozenges to help.

Max nodded and swallowed, working the cough drop around her mouth a bit.

Rachel looked down at Max. "We'll do our best to stick with 'yes' or 'no' questions, so you can just nod or shake your head. Sound good?"

Max nodded again, looking slightly relieved.

Victoria, seated on one end of the love seat that had been moved from the wall to be closer to the bed, leaned forward. "Miss Carter explained that you need a self-care day," she said, her voice soothing. "When you're feeling up to it, let any of us know what you might need that will help you feel better, even if you have to write it down or text us. A warm blanket. A slice of triple-chocolate cake. A particular scent, like an aroma therapy candle. A massage. Mindless TV. Real food and drink. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Don't be afraid to ask. We'll do everything we can for you."

Juliet, who had taken Max's desk chair, gave Victoria a surprised look, as did several others. "Pretty generous of you," the reported stated, as she stood and took hold of the paper in Kate's hand.

Victoria shot her a look that would've been a lot more heated if it wasn't for Max being in the room as well. Which was likely why Juliet said it to begin with, she figured. "Let's just say that I have some of experience when it comes to helping an emotionally devastated sub recover," she stated, placing her hand atop Courtney's, giving it a small squeeze. She then turned her attention back to Max. "I'm aware that I, personally, haven't given you much reason to trust me yet, but know that it will be impossible for you to ask too much of us. We're here for you. Period."

Max saw the quiet seriousness in Victoria's face and nodded again, though her face belied her uncertainty.

Steph, seated on the other end of the love seat, noticed. "She's absolutely correct. There's not a single person here, in this room, that wouldn't be happy to help. And we also know for a fact that you'd never try to take advantage of that." She smiled. "So don't even think about that angle."

"Remember the quote I told you before," Kate said. "You are not a burden nor a bother."

"And what was it we decided to do if your depression started giving you shit?" Rachel asked rhetorically.

Max managed a tiny smile at that. "...we picture Sarah's face," she whispered.

Rachel nodded, a grin on her face. "And then?"

"...we punch it."

Most of the room snickered at that, knowing a little something that Max didn't. Chloe gave Max's waist a squeeze. "If you'd much rather do the real thing, lemme know. She's on this floor somewhere, right? I'll drag her here and we'll hold her down."

Max shook her head, that tiny smile still on her face.

Juliet glanced up from the printed article. Sure, Kate had read it aloud but she liked reviewing things herself to ensure she understood. "Well, now I know what I can ask when I interview you," she said with a grin.

Victoria turned to her, eyes narrowed. "You are NOT going to interview Max now," she stated quite firmly.

"Of course not," Juliet stated a bit defensively. "Despite the rumors to the contrary, I know better than that. And I know a bit about needing a self-care day, too." She shifted her attention to Max. "I'm talking about much later, when you come to do my interview. I had a thought that whenever that happens, I could also interview you, ask you the same questions you ask me. That way, it'll be like you've also interviewed yourself for the assignment." She shrugged. "Maybe it'd be good for your reports, to have that insight into yourself, compared to how things were before you started it."

Max blinked, then nodded. "...that's really smart," she whispered, then smiled. "...thanks."

"You're welcome," Juliet beamed, then blinked as Victoria reached over and took the printed page from her hand.

"My turn," was all she said as she read the article herself, Courtney leaning over to read along.

Juliet shrugged and turned to Max. "Pretty cool that Miss Carter was able to find an article that described your role perfectly, and one dated so long ago, too."

"Really?" Steph leaned forward. "How old is it?"

"The date on top read June 1999," Juliet replied. "So, a bit over 14 years."

"That long ago and people still had no idea what your role was," Chloe said, giving Max's arm a soft stroke.

"...not their fault," Max whispered, eyes closed. "...i never dug too deep before now. and it never mattered."

That last statement caused several of the girls to look in Max's direction. Collectively, they had a feeling that Max actually meant "I never mattered."

"But now, you know," Rachel said, brushing her fingers through Max's hair. "Which also explains your confusion from before: why it never seemed like you had any particular kinky interests of your own. Because, depending on who you're with, it's practically all of them."

"Except water sports," Steph added helpfully, making the room collectively gag and shudder. She grinned when Max locked gazes with her, opened her mouth, and pantomimed sticking her finger down her throat.

Rachel gave Max's hair a soft stroke. "Ignore her. The most important thing is, when it comes to the kinky stuff, you experiment at your own pace. Tell your partner what you liked and didn't like, but be completely honest about it. Don't think 'Well, I didn't like it but she seemed to, so I'll just try to deal with it.' That'll just hurt the both of you."

Max nodded her head. It was really sound advice even if there was little chance she'd ever get to use it. But before her brain could spiral down that hole, she heard and felt a rumble against her back.

She blinked. Judging by the looks everyone was giving her, or more precisely, the girl behind her, she wasn't the only one that heard that. Max cleared her throat and gave Chloe's arm a small pat. "...hungry?"

"Fuck." Chloe did her best not to squirm. "Yeah, I skipped lunch 'cause I had to talk to a teacher about something and time got away from me."

Shaking her head slightly, Rachel reached down and gave Chloe's head a poke. "You know better than that," she said fondly.

"Yeah, yeah," Chloe muttered, waving Rachel's finger away. "Whatever."

"...you should eat," Max stated softly.

"Probably." Chloe gave Max another squeeze. "What about you, though? Need food? Something to drink?"

Max gave that some thought. "...not hungry but something to drink?"

"Like what? Tea? Soda? Chocolate milk? A beer?"

Max wrinkled her nose that that suggestion. "Beer's gross." She abruptly coughed and brought her hand to cover her mouth.

"Shh." Rachel reached down and gave Max's head a soft stroke. "That's enough talking for now. Your throat still needs time to heal."

"Yeah. Sorry, dude. We've been asking regular questions instead of yes and noes. We'll stop that."

Max nodded, then felt Kate's hand on her ankle.

"How about we make a food run?" Kate asked. "Steph, Juliet and I can hit up the cafeteria, get several meals to go, and bring it all back here. We'll turn it into a mini-picnic, either right here or, if you're feeling better, the common room."

"We don't want to crowd you or make you feel uncomfortable," Victoria stated, "so let us know if you'd rather some of us leave you in peace."

Max quickly shook her head in the negative, clutching at Chloe's arms at the same time. The sight simultaneously lifted Victoria's spirit (Max actually wanted her close, too) and made it sink (she was so incredibly vulnerable right now). She hid both reactions behind a short nod. "Courtney and I will be heading south to Tillamook for dinner, like usual, so if you prefer something from there, let me know."

Max nodded slowly, gratitude evident in her eyes. She released Chloe's arm and stated to reach forward when she stopped. She blinked as doubt began filling her head. Was she being weird? Was she being too forward? Did Victoria even want to touch someone like--

Her thoughts were interrupted when Victoria stood from the love seat and gently took Max's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever you need," Victoria stated softly. "We'll be here." She held on until Max nodded again, then slowly let go and made her way out of the room, Courtney in tow.

Juliet tore her gaze from the door and tried to wipe the incredulous look from her face. She stood from the chair. "So, should we head out now?"

"Yes," Kate replied, then turned her attention to Max. "If it's okay, may I borrow your meal card?"

Max nodded. But when she shifted to get up, Chloe tightened her grip on her waist.

"Oh no you don't," came Chloe's disgruntled reaction. Max looked to Kate and shrugged helplessly, making the blonde giggle.

"It's okay," she said with a smile. "Stay right there. Would your card be in your bag?" When Max nodded, Kate did likewise. "Then I'll jut be a moment."

"Here." Rachel reached into her back pocket and withdrew a thin wallet. "Take mine as well. And don't worry about any specific sandwiches or chips. A variety's fine. We'll likely wind up making a snack run later in the evening since I know one measly sandwich won't be enough for this one here," she stated, giving Chloe's head another poke.

"Hey, I'm a growing girl!" Chloe protested.

"You've been saying that crap for three years," Steph said as she took Rachel's meal card, handing the wallet back. "If that were true, you'd be at least nine feet tall, 500 pounds, or both."

"Not my fault I have a high metabolism," she grumbled, burying her face in Max's hair.

"No, but it is your fault you make all the girls jealous of your fine-ass physique," Rachel replied, stuffing the wallet back in her pocket.

"Chloe Price, Lady Killer," Juliet said, raising her hands as if bracketing a headline to a newspaper. "Has a nice ring to it."

Max snorted in amusement, a sound which, soft as it was, brightened the mood of the room. Kate stepped over to the bed, meal card in one hand, and gently grasped Max's hand with the other. "We'll be right back, dear. Rachel and Chloe will take good care of you until then, okay?"

Max nodded, then smiled when Kate leaned down and give her a warm hug. "...thank you."

"You're very welcome," Kate replied as she straightened, then stepped to the side as Steph stepped up to give Max her own hug.

"If these two try to sneak you out of the building for a beer run," she stage whispered, "go limp. Play dead. Make 'em work for it."

Max huffed out a short laugh as she grinned softly. "...sure." When Juliet stepped forward, she surprised Max by taking her hand and leaning down to plant a soft kiss on the back of it.

The reported gave Max a quirky smile. "Max Caulfield. Doll." She gently squeezed Max's hand. "A beautiful role for a beautiful person." She grinned when Max blushed. "We'll be right back."

Max nodded, face still a bit red from the kiss and the compliment, then watched as the three girls left the room, leaving the door open as they left. A few moments later, she felt the bed shift as Rachel slid from her seat and stood, turning to face her.

"Ready for that beer run?" Rachel joked, watching as Max's eyes widened slightly before she closed her eyes, exhaled, and, as Steph advised, went completely limp.

Chloe, feeling Max sag in her arms, snorted in amusement. "She's fucking with you, dude," she said, smile on her face.

"Oh, she knows," Rachel advised, then grinned when Max cracked an eye open and smirked. "She's just playing, which makes me absolutely ecstatic." At Max's puzzled look, she continued. "It means that you're feeling a bit better, even if you're nowhere near 100% yet. But that's okay." Rachel sat in the vacated desk chair and scooted it all the way to the edge of the bed, then reached out to take Max's hand, entwining their fingers together. "You need time to recover, to get back to yourself, and we're here to help. I just want you to know, to understand, and to believe, really truly believe, that all of us are here for you. That we only want to help. That you're not asking too much, aren't a burden, not wasting our time, and never, ever, not even a little bit, keeping us away from something more important." She gave Max's hand a gentle squeeze. "We love you. We're here for you. We only want the best for you. So, no matter what you need, ask."

Max thought she was all cried out, that there were no more tears to shed. But for the first time in probably her entire life, there wasn't any filter between her heart and the kind words Rachel spoke. As she felt the moisture pool in the corners of her eyes, she squeezed Rachel's hand back, and whispered, "...don't let go. please."

A few moments later, Chloe, Max, and Rachel were all snuggled together, Max sandwiched between the two, hand still held in Rachel's, Chloe's arms still around her waist.

Neither let go.

 

* * *

 

 **Me**  
This is Courtney texting on behalf of Victoria who's driving. When you're able, please confirm you've received this.

 **Ward**  
Got it.

 **Watson**  
Here. What gives?

 **Amber**  
???

 **Sweet-T**  
I'm literally sitting right next to you. :-P

 **Me**  
Does anyone have contact info for Chloe, Kate, and Steph, and can get them into this group MMS?

 **Ward**  
I have Kate's. Gimme a few.

 **Amber**  
Steph and Chloe coming up.

 **< unknown>**  
This is Kate. Is anything wrong?

<unknown contact updated>

 **Me**  
No, not at all. We're still in Tillamook. Victoria wanted me to get this organized now while it was fresh on her mind, that's all.

 **Watson**  
For the snack run? It would make things easier.

 **Ward**  
Oh, on a related note: Kleenex, throat lozeges, and eye drops for Max, if you swing by a store.

 **Me**  
Good idea. I'll let Victoria know. But, no, this is for something else.

 **Watson**  
What, then?

 **Me**  
I'll let you know when everyone else shows up.

 **< unknown>**  
Steph here. Sorry it took a bit. Didnt' want to text in front of Max, give her the impresion that I'm ignoring her. Got the idea from Kate, actually.

<unknown contact updated>

 **Sweet-T**  
No prob. Now all that's left is Rachel's bae!

 **Amber**  
Yup. She'll likely text when she goes to the can.

 **Watson**  
TMI.

 **< unknown>**  
WAZUP BITHES!!!

<unknown contact updated>

 **Me**  
Welcome, Chloe.

 **Price**  
howd u know it was me?

 **Amber**  
You're the last one left babe. And your spelling is atrocious.

 **Ward**  
Exactly. ;-)

 **Price**  
NO EMOJI!!!

 **Me**  
Sorry, but emojis will most definitely be involved in this group chat because I know for a fact that Max uses them. And this is about her.

 **Price**  
whatre you talking about? what about Max?

 **Me**  
Nothing bad, promise. But first, how is she doing right now? Despite knowing she's surrounded by friends, we're concerned.

 **Marsh**  
A lot better. She's taking a nap at the moment, which is why we're all able to text.

 **Ward**  
She was smiling a lot more before she zonked out. Joking some, too.

 **Me  
** Did she eat or drink anything?

 **Amber**  
We made her drink plenty water and OJ both. She only nibbled on some chips though.

 **Marsh**  
I have a feeling she'll be hungry when she wakes up.

 **Ward**  
Food idea: pot stickers. For Max. The steamed ones reheat really well and they're bite-sized, so we can trick her into actually eating more than 1.

 **Me**  
Smart. Victoria concurs, considering she witnessed Max faint once already due to lack of food.

 **Price**  
SHE WHATNOW?!

 **Amber**  
Oh crap I didn't tell you??

 **Me**  
Victoria has informed me I'm not allowed to share precisely what happened but suggests you ask Max when she wakes up because, in retrospect, it was actually rather amusing.

 **Price**  
if u say so

 **Gingrich**  
Okay, so, what else did you want to takl about involving Max?

 **Watson**  
Courtney? You there?

 **Marsh**  
Is everything okay? ****

 **Me**  
It's Victoria. We're good. I stopped at a store and Court and Sweet-T are getting supplies while Nathan and I smoke.

 **Me**  
I'm seriously thinking about bumping up the date to tomorrow if Max is better by then.

 **Gingrich**  
Instead of waiting for Saturdy?

 **Me**  
Yes.

 **Price**  
sweet-t? srsly?

 **Me**  
Go to hell KARI.

 **Marsh**  
Please keep things civil. This is about Max, remember?

 **Price**  
...fine

 **Marsh**  
Victoria?

 **Me**  
Ugh. Fine.

 **Marsh**  
Thank you.

 **Amber**  
Back to Max. Any particular reason you want to move the date?

 **Me**  
I have a feeling that if we wait for Saturday, it will give Max enough time to spin the knowledge of her new role into a negative rather than the positive we all know it is.

 **Price**  
how?

 **Me**  
You know her better than me. Ask yourself that question.

 **Price**  
...shit

 **Amber**  
Yeah I'm seeing that too.

 **Marsh**  
Same.

 **Watson**  
I'm not following.

 **Ward**  
OK, short version: if there's a way for Max to spin a situation into being her fault, she will.

 **Ward**  
It doesn't have to make logical sense, it just has to be theoretically possible.

 **Ward**  
We're all thinking of how many different ways that might happen here.

 **Ward**  
And there are plenty. ****

 **Amber**  
Remember what happened with Sarah. Max got insulted then turned around and blamed herself for lying to us.

 **Price**  
fucking cunt. shoulda knocked her teeth out.

 **Amber**  
Deep breaths babe.

 **Me  
** Back to Max. What do you think? Doable or should we still plan for Saturday?

 **Marsh**  
I agree with the assessment and think it's a good idea to move the date to tomorrow but only if Max has recovered. If she still seems vulnerable, then we wait and use the time between then and now to keep her bolstered.

 **Gingrich**  
Same.

 **Amber**  
Agreed.

 **Price**  
yeah

 **Ward**  
I have reservations.

 **Me**  
Which are? Because we're not proceeding unless it's unanimous.

 **Ward**  
I don't want Max to spin the date into the idea we're pressuring her into a relationship. She JUST found her role.

 **Me**  
Hmm.

 **Marsh  
** Remember, this isn't actually a date-date. It's more about us, collectively, telling Max we like her and would like to date her, but only if she's on board.

 **Price  
** you sed date-date ****

 **Marsh**  
And I think we can mitigate that potential issue, of it seeming like we're pressuring her, tomorrow. Everyone who misses a class to be with Max can tell her the truth: that we love her as a friend and how her role hasn't changed that one bit.

 **Gingrich**  
Missed classes?

 **Marsh**  
Miss Carter explained that four of us can skip one class tomorrow to spend that period with Max, to help her recover. But only 1 class per person. We're to decide among ourselves who can afford to miss a class then let her know so we wouldn't get docked.

 **Price**  
damn. wish I had teachers like that at Tikimooki.

 **Amber**  
Super generous but tomorrow afternoon's out for me and Steph. Theater shit.

 **Ward**  
I call dibs on second period.

 **Me**  
Courtney again. Victoria says she'll take notes for Photography if Kate wants to take third period and she'll take fourth.

 **Marsh**  
I like that idea. Tell her thank you.

 **Me**  
You're welcome.

 **Gingrich**  
I'll fall on the sword and let Rachel take first. You know I take way better notes than you.

 **Amber**  
Rosenkrantz.

 **Gingrich**  
Or not. We'll talk later.

 **Sweet-T**  
Um, what?

 **Price**  
old safeword. don't worry about it

 **Sweet-T**  
Say no more. I get it.

 **Watson**  
Not that I mind but it suddenly occurred to me - why am I here in the chat?

 **Sweet-T**  
Same reason I'm here: you're good friends with one of Max's Ladies and it'd be impossible to keep this a secret from you in the first place.

 **Me**  
Case in point: you knew about the group date already, correct?

 **Watson**  
Okay, true.

 **Price**  
Max's Ladies. diggin the sound of that. like a movie title or a band name

 **Sweet-T**  
I think Max's Dommes sounds better but I wanted to be more inclusive.

 **Ward**  
;-)

 **Price**  
DAMMIT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly done several days ago but I opted against posting it until I had a solid idea how to go about chapter 41. Since I now have that idea, I figured I've kept everyone waiting long enough. ;-)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed Juliet being a nosy reporter here. I like the idea that she immediately jumped on the idea that there was a tryst going on between Max and Miss Carter but, once she had a chance to actually think about it, figured out that was wrong. This is a reflection of her being a bit of a hothead and reactionary to events around her.
> 
> You wouldn't believe the amount of time I spent writing the article! I had to get that just right and not make it sound just like an info dump but something that you'd actually read out of a magazine. The idea I have is the author had, in several other articles, created new names for roles she's discovered but they may not have caught on with the general public, either because of lack of overall exposure or disagreement with others (that whole "don't believe everything you read" mentality). Still, because of how subjective things are, people can and have labeled themselves Dolls before. It's just extremely rare. And because it's an unofficial role, Miss Carter never encountered it in her studies.
> 
> I know that not everyone is a fan of texts within a fic but I rather enjoy reading them and saw this chapter as a perfect opportunity to do it a bit more. I hope you don't mind!
> 
> Coming up next: everyone helps Max. And, perhaps, they have their group date thing, too.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Beanie Date](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17323331) by [simpletextadventure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpletextadventure/pseuds/simpletextadventure)
  * [The Queen Bee](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18090443) by [simpletextadventure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpletextadventure/pseuds/simpletextadventure)




End file.
